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rejuvenation. The approved reference area incorporates adjustment factors to <br />account for higher production potentials associated with deeper soils typically <br />associated with hayland premining vegetation types. For these various reasons, it <br />would seem to be appropriate and would perhaps prevent potential <br />misunderstandings if the nature of the postmining irrigated pasture type were <br />more fully explained in the text. <br />Please consider these recommendations and amend the text as warranted. <br />26. There is a sentence fragment in the above referenced narrative section. The <br />second sentence of the redline version reads: "In order to encourage `prompt <br />establishment of vegetative cover and recovery of productivity levels compatible <br />with the approved postmining land use' (4.15.1(2))". <br />Please amend the text as warranted. <br />27. A couple of the Postmining Vegetation/Land Use type definitions provided in <br />Section 2.05.4(2)(e) narrative appear to be out-dated or otherwise not properly <br />descriptive. The Pastureland-Irrigated Grass definition (subsection 3.2) seems to <br />be largely applicable to the premining type, not the postmining type, given the <br />references to "not as well managed as Pastureland Irrigated Hay" , "poorer soils", <br />and "do not yield as much vegetation". The definition needs to be revised, and <br />should incorporate the concepts noted in Item 25. It may be appropriate to re- <br />label the type "Reclaimed Irrigated Pastureland" to avoid confusion with the <br />premising Pastureland Irrigated Grass type. The Dryland Pasture definition is <br />outdated, as the type as proposed in PR-6 is not limited to "those areas that were <br />previously sagebrush rangeland...". Also, Dryland Pasture reclamation is focused <br />toward establishment of adapted dryland grasses and forbs, and the seedmix does <br />not include sagebrush. The definition does not make this clear, and could even be <br />interpreted as implying that the reclaimed dryland pasture areas are intended to <br />have "extensive shrub cover", which is obviously not the intent. <br />Please amend the text as warranted. <br />28. On the currently approved version of the Postmining Vegetation/Land Use Map <br />Exhibit 2.05.4-5, there is a 6.73 acre parcel designated "Irrigated Farmland <br />Alfalfa Hayland", located in the southeastern portion of the NH-2 area, apparently <br />on Staats property. On the PR-6 proposed version of the map, the area has an IP <br />(Pastureland Irrigated Grass) designation. <br />Please provide explanation regarding reclamation history of this property <br />and justification for the change from Alfalfa Hayland to Pastureland <br />Irrigated Grass. <br />16