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<br />C3? CxD er <br />Define Prime Farmland handling (detailed two lift salvage, storage, and replacement <br />'t- address <br />procedures) for areas where soil has not yet been stripped in advance -04-L- pi , <br />compliance with prime farmland soil handling regulations. Soil handling plan will include <br />clear description of defining characteristics to allow operator to properly segregate top lift <br />from second lick in the field, and. to define lirnit of salvage for the 2"d lift. <br />• Define Prime Farmland handling for areas where mining has previously occurred and are <br />currently either active disturbance or regraded but not yet topsoiled, Operator will identify <br />appropriate Prime Farmland subsoil suitability criteria and provide a plan for sampling of <br />graded spoil (initial l sample per 2.5 acre grid) to demonstrate suitability (with NRCS <br />input). Plan will need to mgt Prime Farmland handling regulations to the extent possible, <br />given the current circumstances. For areas where spoil is unsuitable for Prime Farmland <br />subsoil, remediation plan will be developed. <br />• A detailed soil handling plan will also be developed for non-prince farmland soils <br />• A revised soil block replacement map will be included in the application, addressing both <br />Prime and non-Prime Farmland soils replacement. Non-Prime soil replacement blocks will <br />be reflective of pre-mine soil conditions and planned postmining use (e.g. Dryland Pasture, <br />Irrigated Pasture, or "irrigable/Improved" pasture. <br />• Iriterim Soil handling for Prime Farmland soil (prior to approval of TR-57) will entail two <br />lift salvage and segregation of top lift and second lift, as described in the Division's PR-5 <br />Findings Document. The calcic horizon (the distinctive lighter colored subsoil with elevated <br />calcium carbonate) beneath the darker "topsoil", typically defines the top of the end lift- for <br />soil salvage. Measures will be taken to avoid or minimize handling of soils under conditions <br />(e.g. frozen or wet surface soil) that would potentially damage soil physical characteristics. <br />Any handling under such conditions would be limited to pushing top lift and second lift soils <br />into separate windrows to allow necessary room for the next pit cut advance. <br />The Permit Revision, to be submitted some time after the T'R will address the broader range of land <br />use and mvegetation issues, many of which have been the subject of on-going review for several <br />years, and have been addressed in trtidterm and technical revision review letters by the Division and <br />also in a comment letter from Jinx Boyd of NRCS, and numerous letters from permit area <br />landowners. One of the critical issues will involve the issue of the appropriate ratio of irrigation <br />water shares to acres of land for prudent management of irrigated cropland and irrigated <br />pastureland. There is agreement between Jinx Boyd and W1~C that, for irrigated alfalfa cropland, <br />between 50 and 60 acres can be irrigated with 50 shares of water (approximately a 1:1 ratio, which <br />would also likely be close to the appropriate ratio for irrigated pastureland). <br />Generally, for areas that were irrigated prior to training, and where irrigation water is available for <br />irrigation during and after the liability period, the amount of irrigated land should follow this <br />approximate ratio. One exception will likely be the WFC owned parcel which was irrigated prior to <br />acquisition, and which WFC will likely propose to restore to dryland pasture (one +/- 3 acre parcel <br />of Prime Farmland Soil may be need to be irrigated and restored to Prime Farmland Condition, <br />depending on NRCS determination), <br />An approach discussed for lands that may have been irrigated prior to .mining, but for which water <br />rights are not available or are insufficient, would be to restore lands to an "improved/irdsable„