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a <br />prime farmland or potential prime farmland, depending upon water availability. led on this <br />evaluation, certain lands on the Morgan property have been converted to irrigated cropland. <br />Land use and baseline vegetation studies (Sections 2.04.3 and 2.04. 10) conducted during 1987 <br />and 1999, as well as results from interviews with local' operators in the area, show that the pre- <br />mine land. use is agriculture based in part on irrigation. any of the areas designated as irrigated <br />T1.% mg , <br />pasture in the pre-mine vegetation study were <br />o <br />Vegetation <br />types such as the swale/drainage type are present as a result of irrigation in the area and are <br />LTJ used, where possible, in a similar fashion to irrigated pasture or irrigated cropland. B? aseline <br />&tuCies also s mued tha+1t" `r?AAr??, <br />?? ---? unarng;on:tne operatti"s`needs After several <br />years of production following renovation, the hay fields become dominated by grasses and are <br />slowly invaded by species such as Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis) and buckhom plantain <br />(Plantago lanceolata). The irrigated pasture, fields are used as pasture during various periods <br />in. the year based on operator needs. In most cases management is not at a high level. Other <br />than farmsteads, facilities, and a smal I INa°r do MUM a the sa ebrush <br />#:OA g types makes up the <br />balance of the disturbance area. This type reflects disturbance f th <br />w <br />o e ongrnal sagebrush we <br />drid pinyon juniper vegetation and the intensity of use from associated agricultural activities. <br />These sagebrush areas are not irrigated and are located on mesa tops where it is impractical <br />to get irrigation water via. ditches and on steep mesa sides. <br />4. <br />The postmining. land use will be similar to the pre-mining land use - primarily agriculture using <br />Irrigation and dryland pasture. These two pasture types will be the . <br />highest percentage of any <br />postmining vegetation type. Certain lands, particularly many of those tracts to the north of BB <br />Road and west of 2700 Road, were originally classified to be restored as irrigated pasture, but <br />this was not valid since the water was simply not available to provide proper irrigation on the total <br />4. <br />area of these lands. For this reason, a portion of these lands have been re-classified as dryland(('' `6? <br />pasture for the Permit Revision of 2009.ioiz ??Y\-? <br />&cz <br />The parcels that have been re-evaluated for the post-mining land use are the 4 separately <br />ownedl?aCts west of 2700 Road and one tract owned by WFC in the extreme southeast comer <br />of the permit area. The four tracts west of 2700 Road are owned by Morgan, Lloyd, Benson and <br />W FC. The tracts-east of 2700 Road will not be re-evaluated since they were reclaimed years ago. <br />PR-06 Oct 09 2.05.4(2)(e) - 2 <br />Q