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• <br />The shrub and tree planting lists contained in Table 22 -8, Shrub and Tree Planting List, include tree and shrub <br />seedlings to be used in developed planting sites. The planted species will establish islands that will eventually <br />develop woody plant communities, restore habitat, and enhance plant community diversity, pattern, and <br />structure. The plantings are not intended to restore woody plant communities on a large scale in the mine - <br />affected areas. However, the species selected for the various planting areas are native to the area and site- <br />adapted and survivors will be able to spread and colonize new areas over time. The plantings will be <br />concentrated in larger open blocks of the reclaimed area to promote woody plant reestablishment and mitigate <br />wildlife habitat loss. They will be sufficiently scattered to diversify habitat potential and develop wildlife <br />corridors. Exhibit 22 -1, Postmining Vegetation, shows primary selection areas for planting sites. These areas <br />approximate the minimum area to be established and illustrate the primary areas within which concentrated <br />plantings will be distributed. Final site selection and location of planting sites will be based on field conditions. <br />There are a number of approaches that can be implemented in various combinations, if deemed appropriate, <br />during the establishment of the tree and shrub sites, these potential approaches include: <br />• The use of surface roughening by dozer or track -hoe gouging on slopes of 25% or steeper. <br />• A combination of seeding and planting to be used in all concentrated tree and shrub establishment areas. <br />Broadcast seeding with Seedmix #5 will supplement planting. <br />0 Select mesic, aspen, and upland shrub planting sites will be protected with elk proof fencing. See Exhibit 22- <br />1, Post - Mining Vegetation, for selected locations. <br />• The new aspens sites will have 500 one -gallon size saplings planted. These areas will be fenced and <br />provisions for supplemental watering provided. <br />• Thick topsoil (3.5 to 4.0 feet) will be placed in the aspen and mesic tree and shrub planting sites. <br />Sufficient sites will be established to meet the criteria in the woody plant density success criteria. Shrubs and <br />trees will not be planted in disturbances along the haul road corridor because of the narrow width of the corridor <br />(approximately 200 feet) and the potential for shrub invasion from immediately adjacent native shrublands. <br />Shrub seed has been included in the haul road corridor upland mix (Seed Mix No. 1B). <br />Natural regeneration of shrubs, particularly big sagebrush and mountain snowberry, has played an important role <br />in woody plant reestablishment at the Seneca II Mine. These two shrubs occur in native stands that have a high <br />composition of herbaceous species. It should be expected that these two species will dominate shrub <br />composition in reclaimed areas which are inherently comprised of primarily herbaceous species. Complimenting <br />natural regeneration will be the inclusion of shrub seed <br />MR -35 <br />18 <br />Revised 10/10 <br />