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FOR THE WEST PIT AND SOUTH TAYLOR PIT. THE PLAN SHOULD <br />INCLUDE A NARRATIVE AND MAPPING THAT DELINEATES TOPSOIL <br />REPLACEMENT ZONES OF SPECIFIED THICKNESS RANGE AND <br />MINIMUM A VERAGE THICKNESS. THE PLAN WILL CONTAIN DETAILS <br />AND COMMITMENTS ADEQUATE TO DEMONSTRATE COMPLIANCE WITH <br />RULE 4.06 4(2)(A) AND ADEQUATE TO ENSURE THAT ECOLOGICALLY <br />SIGNIFICANT VARIATION IN SOIL THICKNESS WILL BE ACHIEVED <br />(INCLUDING A COMMITMENT TO APPROPRIATE ANNUAL MONITORING <br />AND REPORTING). THE MAPPING AND NARRATIVE WILL CLARIFY THE <br />APPROXIMATE EXTENT AND GENERAL LOCATION OF ENHANCEMENT <br />PROCEDURES MENTIONED IN THE TECHNICAL REVISION 72 NARRATIVE, <br />INCLUDING SOIL BERMS, EXTENSIVE SOIL ROUGHENING AND SNOW <br />FENCE INSTALLATION. RECLAMATION OPERATIONS, INCLUDING <br />TOPSOILING AND REVEGETATION WILL PROCEED IN 2009, WHETHER <br />OR NOT A VARIABLE TOPSOIL REPLACEMENT PLAN IS APPROVED. <br />UNLESS AND UNTIL A VARIABLE THICKNESS TOPSOIL REPLACEMENT <br />PLAN IS APPROVED BY THE DIVISION, TOPSOIL REPLACEMENT WILL <br />ACHIEVE AN APPROXIMATE UNIFORM THICKNESS OF 8 INCHES <br />THROUGHOUT THE POST-2008 PORTIONS OF THE ORIGINAL PERMIT <br />AREA, AND 19.5 INCHES THROUGHOUT THE SOUTH TAYLOR <br />RECLAMATIONAREA, AS C URRENTL Y A PPR 0 VED. <br />Colowyo's Response: <br />Colowyo has added the following highlighted text to the Section 2.05.4 narrative: <br />"Topsoil will normally be reapplied by hauling, in trucks, from topsoil stockpiles <br />or from areas where topsoil has been removed for mining advance, to the regraded spoil <br />areas and then redistributed with dozers. Alternate methods may also include placing <br />topsoil on slopes with a dragline followed by redistribution with dozer, or using a scraper <br />to redistribute the topsoil. When necessary to ensure replacement to the required or <br />desired depths, replacement depths will be staked on the regraded spoil. Beginning with <br />2010 reclamation activities, Colowyo will institute a topsoil depth verification program to <br />document ecologically significant variations in topsoil where applicable (i.e. grazingland <br />areas) and confirm more uniform topsoil reapplications (i.e. sagebrush steppe areas). It <br />will consist of logical transects from the bottom of slopes to the tops that are sufficient to <br />demonstrate variable topsoil depths from shallow to deep as one moves from the top of <br />the reclamation unit or slope to the bottom. Specific depth sampling point locations and <br />results will be recorded and reported in the subsequent years' Annual Reclamation Report <br />within the Topsoil Volume Inventory section. The topsoil depth verification program is <br />not intended nor should it be used as a topsoil volume verification method as the volume <br />of topsoil will be planned, monitored and verified through load count, time card coding <br />and engineering plan designation of placement of the material on a reclamation unit basis. <br />Overall topsoil balance oversight is performed and reported annually in the Annual <br />Reclamation Report. Beginning with the 2009 Annual Reclamation Report, Colowyo <br />will provide a specific plan for the subsequent two years of planned reclamation activities <br />that will include targeted areas, planned topsoil thickness ranges, overall planned