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Colowyo, C1981-019, PR3 adequacy No. 2 <br />Rule 2.04.9 Soils Resource Information <br />April 22, 2011 <br />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 />CCC corrected Table 2.04.9-16 appropriately and adjusted the salvage values to remove areas <br />that will no longer be disturbed by the proposed Little Collura X mine plan. This response is <br />acceptable. <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 />CCC's response adequately resolves this item. <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 />CCC's response adequately resolves this item. <br />3. 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. The explanation provided by Colowyo for not including <br />the sage grouse reference area as a minor community is that "the sage grouse habitat target <br />reference area was only established should the need arise to obtain habitat related parameters" <br />and should be considered as an "other designation." Please revise the text of the `Minor <br />Vegetation Communities and Other Designations' section so it is clear which communities are <br />considered the `minor communities' and which are considered `other communities.' Also,