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Define and delineate Prime Farmland soils within the permit area, based on <br />current NRCS criteria; <br />Define Prime Farmland handling (detailed two lift salvage, storage, and <br />replacement procedures) for areas where soil has not yet been stripped in advance <br />of the pit; address compliance with prime farmland soil handling regulations. Soil <br />handling plan will include clear description of defining characteristics to allow <br />operator to properly segregate top lift from second lift in the field, and to define <br />limit of salvage for the 2 lift. <br />Define Prime Farmland handling for areas where mining has previously occurred <br />and are currently either active disturbance or regraded but not yet topsoiled. <br />Operator will identify appropriate Prime Farmland subsoil suitability criteria and <br />provide a plan for sampling of graded spoil (initial 1 sample per 2.5 acre grid) to <br />demonstrate suitability (with NRCS input). Plan will need to meet Prime <br />Farmland handling regulations to the extent possible, given the current <br />circumstances. For areas where spoil is unsuitable for Prime Farmland subsoil, <br />remediation plan will be developed. <br />A detailed soil handling plan will also be developed for non -prime farmland soils <br />A revised soil block replacement map will be included in the application, <br />addressing both Prime and non -Prime Farmland soils replacement. Non -Prime <br />soil replacement blocks will be reflective of pre -mine soil conditions and planned <br />postmining use (e.g. Dryland Pasture, Irrigated Pasture, or "Irrigable /Improved" <br />pasture. <br />Interim Soil handling for Prime Farmland soil (prior to approval of TR -57) will <br />entail two lift salvage and segregation of top lift and second lift, as described in <br />the Division's PR -5 Findings Document. The calcic horizon (the distinctive <br />lighter colored subsoil with elevated calcium carbonate) beneath the darker <br />"topsoil ", typically defines the top of the 2 nd lift for soil salvage. Measures will <br />be taken to avoid or minimize handling of soils under conditions (e.g. frozen or <br />wet surface soil) that would potentially damage soil physical characteristics. Any <br />handling under such conditions would be limited to pushing top lift and second <br />lift soils into separate windrows to allow necessary room for the next pit cut <br />advance. <br />The Permit Revision to be submitted some time after the TR will address the broader <br />range of land use and revegetation issues, many of which have been the subject of on- <br />going review for several years, and have been addressed in midterm and technical <br />revision review letters by the Division and also in a comment letter from Jim Boyd of <br />NRCS, and numerous letters from permit area landowners. One of the critical issues will <br />involve the issue of the appropriate ratio of irrigation water shares to acres of land for <br />prudent management of irrigated cropland and irrigated pastureland. There is agreement <br />between Jim Boyd and WFC that, for irrigated alfalfa cropland, between 50 and 60 acres <br />can be irrigated with 50 shares of water (approximately a 1:1 ratio, which would also <br />likely be close to the appropriate ratio for irrigated pastureland). <br />