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• TAB 22 <br />REVEGETATION PLAN <br />Introduction <br />Tab 22, Revegetadon Plan, directs the reader to those areas comprising the essential <br />components of the xevegetation plan, stazting with an overview of premising land uses as they <br />relate to vegetation and habitat. BackEdling and grading, topsod maintenance, and methods of <br />topsoil replacement are coveted in detail in Tabs 20 and 21. Also presented in Tab 22 are the <br />postmining land use plan, revegetation monitoring, tevegetation success standards, surface <br />stabilization and rill and gully control measures, and weed and pest control measures. <br />The primary premising land use on the permit area and adjacent areas has been the grazing of <br />domestic livestock on native rangeland and utilization of associated habitat types by wildlife. <br />In more recent years, oil, gas, and methane (from coal fields) exploration, while not extensive, <br />has become an increasingly important land use. The highest economic return has been from <br />• livestock grazing. However, the types of habitat and wildlife numbers in the' area provide <br />hunting and recreation opportunities that contribute to the overall economy. <br />The following discussion summarizes the two primary premising land uses in the azea and <br />provides a basis for the development of [he reclamation plan and postmining land use plan. <br />Premise Land Use <br />Livestock Grazing of Native Rangeland Cattle and sheep grazing on privately-owned lands or <br />through Federal grazing leases has been the primary land use of the permit area. Over the <br />years, grazing pressure has been higher than desirable, due to underemphasized management, <br />with a consequent deterioration in range condition. <br />Based on Soil Conservation Service (SCS) range site descriptions for the brushy loam range site <br />and mountain loam range site, it is estimated that range condition for the mixed brush and <br />sagebrush types, averaged over the entire permit area, is only fair. The brushy loam range site <br />• generally equates to the mixed brash vegetation type, while the mountain loam range site is <br />similar to the sagebrush type. Associated with the deteriorated range condition is the high <br />density of shrubs, which occur on the site a[ the expense of the herbaceous component. <br />