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Colowyo, C1981-019, PR3 adequacy 4 February 25, 2011 <br />Rule 2.04.9 Soils Resource Information <br />1. Table 2.04.9-16 proposes 6 inches topsoil replacement thickness over 2038 acres. Table 2.04.9 <br />shows 4,614,928 cubic yards topsoil and subsoil is available for salvage on the proposed <br />disturbance areas. Salvage of both topsoil and acceptable subsoil would allow for replacement <br />of approximately 1.4 feet of topsoil and subsoil. Please revise table 2.04.9-16 to show that <br />CCC would also salvage and replace acceptable subsoil as well as topsoil. <br />Rule 2.04.10 - Vegetation Information <br />Page 57, Methods, Sample Layout - In the second paragraph on this page, wetlands are <br />described as one of the four minor plant communities along with improved pasture, cultivated <br />land and disturbed areas. In the Sample Layout paragraph further on in the text, wetland is <br />combined with other bottomland types in the bottomland category. Please clarify which <br />category (bottomland or minor plant community) wetlands have been categorized for the <br />purpose of community inventory. Make similar changes in the last paragraph on page 59 and <br />Table 2.04.10-33 as needed. <br />2. Page 63, second paragraph, the statement is made that the sagebrush reference area has <br />experienced "die-off' of sagebrush due to the recent drought and down-cutting as explained in <br />the third bullet on page 62. Down-cutting is a phenomenon that lowers the water table <br />significantly; as such, the water table likely will not recover to levels experienced before the <br />down-cut. Please therefore, provide further explanation and evidence to support the prediction: <br />"it is anticipated that sage reinvasion will occur over the next several years", as this may have <br />significant effects on the vegetative characteristics of the reference area. <br />Page 69, Minor Vegetation Communities and Other Designations - In this section, five minor <br />communities are described: improved pasture, sage grouse target habitat reference area, <br />cultivated cropland, disturbed areas and wetlands. In contrast, the introduction on page 57 <br />describes 4 minor community types. Please fix the text to include all five community types in <br />the introduction. <br />4. On Map 4C: Vegetation: The proposed Aspen reference area and Juniper Scrub reference area <br />extend beyond the proposed Colowyo permit area boundary. Please redraw the limits of the <br />reference areas so that the reference areas are contained within the proposed permit area. Or <br />demonstrate to the Division that the management of the reference areas will remain under the <br />permittee's control throughout the period of extended liability in accordance with Rule <br />4.15.7(3)(b)(ii). Specifically, please address the portions of the proposed Aspen reference area <br />in T3N, R94W, Section 16, and the Juniper scrub reference area in T4N, R93W Section 18. <br />Exhibit 10, Item 6 - Baseline Vegetation Survey, May 2006 <br />5. The table of contents does not have page numbers. Please submit a new table of contents with <br />page numbers.