reference soil

A soil native to the project site, as described in Natural Resources Conservation Service soil surveys (or a local equivalent survey outside the United States), or undisturbed native soils within the project’s region that have native vegetation, topography, and soil textures similar to the project site. For project sites with no existing soil, reference soils are defined as undisturbed native soils within the project’s region that support appropriate native plant species similar to those intended for the new project.