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Additional Page <br />2011 Annual Report <br />Menzer Quarry <br />M- 1976- 009 -HR <br />Schmidt Construction Company <br />Anniversary Date: December 31 <br />Explanation for Item 16: Because actual topsoil at this quarry is rarely salvageable as a unit, it is generally <br />salvaged along with subsoils and overburden. When deep enough soil is encountered so it is feasible to salvage, <br />it is separated, but that does happen often. Most of the soils in this area are very poorly developed blends of <br />decomposed granite and, on north facing slopes, a prodigious amount of poorly decomposed organic matter. <br />Horizon development in the soil is weak at best. The fine components (minus 200 and smaller) are extremely <br />low in the mineral portion. Thus the soils tend toward being gravelly and stony. In contrast deeper material has <br />more fine components due to movement of fines into the deeper layers. Although these soils grow poorly under <br />normal conditions, with the addition of nitrogen fixers and using low nitrogen requiring plant materials they can <br />soon build a good active nitrogen cycling that is capable of supporting good growth. Furthermore, such a <br />condition is highly favorable for the rapid invasion of trees and shrubs. <br />For these reasons the so called topsoils, the subsoils, and overburden are saved together and used as a <br />blend for the growth medium. There is more of this material than is needed to implement the plan. In general <br />this material is simply piled or dumped over the side of the mining area and then moved into reclamation areas <br />as needed or added to as new land is opened. Thus the material moves downhill with the mining and is always <br />available for reclamation and anything that is left over can be used as backfill in locations near the lowest <br />elevation mining. <br />Vegetating these areas would be pointless as they tend to be fairly active with new material being added <br />frequently. New growth would be quickly destroyed. Therefore, no seeding of the "stockpiles" is done unless <br />there is a permanent stockpile established - a rare event. Currently there are no permanent stockpiles of soil. <br />Schmidt Construction Company 2011 Annual Report M -76- 009 -HR Menzer Quarry Page 1 of 1 <br />