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Map 2.05.5 -1, Postmining Land Use Map shows the areas of the reclaimed Irrigated Pasture and <br />Dryland Pasture land use /vegetation types that will be reestablished through the reclamation <br />process within the NI-IN Mine area for reclamation under Rule 1.04. Map 2.04.9 -3 shows the <br />average topsoil salvage depths in the disturbed area. <br />Seeding Procedures <br />The optimum seeding time for seedling establishment is during the late fall once the fall frost <br />arrives or during the early spring as soon as soil moisture conditions allow for proper tillage and <br />seeding operations. On areas which will be irrigated, seeding may occur any time prior to July <br />15. This will allow for a growing season of approximately 90 days, which will ensure proper <br />plant establishment and ensure that the plants are mature enough not to winter kill. During the <br />initial seeding of all reclaimed Irrigated Pasture (IMIP and IP) with the permanent seed mix, an <br />annual grain companion cover crop of oats or barley or other suitable grass, seeded at a rate of 40 <br /># PLS per acre will be seeded. The use of a cover crop will provide for rapid stabilization of <br />the respread topsoil and ensure that the site is adequately stabilized so that little of the reapplied <br />topsoil will be lost to wind or water erosion. The annual cover crop will also add nitrogen and <br />organic matter to the respread topsoil. Reseeding of the annual cover crop will help to restore <br />the necessary soil mycorrizha that might have died during the storage of the topsoil for long <br />periods of time in the topsoil stockpiles. Methods to restore the soil biota have long been a <br />recommended practice in mine land reclamation. <br />Due to the size and configuration of the retopsoiled areas in relation to the overall proposed <br />postmining land use, there may be instances where the areas are too small to warrant the seeding <br />of such areas with the permanent seed mixtures. In such instances these small areas will be <br />seeded to Seed Mixture # 3 - Temporary Reclamation mix, and then seeded to the permanent <br />seed mixture the following year. <br />Reclaimed Irrigated Pasture Revegetation Success Criteria and Success Demonstration <br />Section 2.05.4(2)(e) Page 14 January 2012 <br />