The Yukon Conservation Society is praising the nearly 50 recommendations proposed by the Yukon Environmental Socio-economic Assessment Board (YESAB) for the controversial Stevens Quarry to go ahead.

"What's been proposed makes a lot more sense,” Christina Macdonald, the society's wildlife co-ordinator, said in an interview Monday afternoon.

If all the recommendations proposed are followed, the society has no problem with the quarry proceeding, she added.

As she pointed, out the more than three dozen recommendations mean the operation would not be the large (at 126 hectares) open pit mine type operation with year-round operation originally envisioned.

Instead, if the recommendations are adopted as proposed, the quarry near the Mayo Road-Alaska Highway intersection would be a small operation.

It would bring down the site to just 20 hectares being used at any one time.

There would also be a 1,000-metre buffer between it and the Yukon River. That arrangement would take away one pit the city and Yukon government (the project proponents) had planned.

Rather than having multiple areas being quarried at once, YESAB has recommended just one pit being worked on at a time.

Under the recommendations, when that area has been used, it would be reclaimed. Only then could work begin on another pit.

"Quarry activity within the project area shall be phased in,” it was noted in recommendation 33.

"This approach will be consistent with the direction provided in the 2010 OCP (the city's Official Community Plan), section 8.3.6.

"One pit shall be developed and be operational at any one time. This pit shall be fully reclaimed prior to the next pit being available for development.

"Development of subsequent pits shall be dependent upon noise monitoring survey results obtained from development of Lease Lot #1.”

A number of recommendations address concerns raised among neighbouring residents, many of whom signed a protest petition in 2012.

They argued the quarry would generate noise, dust, more truck traffic and other negative ramifications, Macdonald recalled.

Noise monitoring and impact assessment, water spraying in dry areas and so on are included in the recommendations.

The quarry would be limited to operating between 7 a.m. and 7 p.m. each day. The exceptions would be weekends and holidays, when no work has occurred.

The documents also include a number of recommendations regarding wildlife, which Macdonald said the conservation society is pleased to see.

Among them, activities on the site would be avoided between the May 1 and July 31 typical breeding period.

If work did occur, activity would have to include an advance plan to avoid disturbing or destroying bird nests, for example.

If active nests were discovered, activities in that area would be have to be avoided until after the birds have nested.

As the proponents, officials with the city and territorial Department of Community Services said they are reviewing the lengthy document, and will await a decision document coming from the government.

City planner Ben Campbell noted many of the recommendations had already been planned for the quarry's operations, such as those dealing with noise and dust.

"Certainly, those are ones (there) shouldn't be a problem with,” he said, adding the city's role in the project largely ends with the YESAB process.

As both he and Community Services spokesman Ron Billingham noted in separate interviews Monday, they will review the document and wait for the territory to release its decision document on the proposal.

The quarry is proposed to go into operation this spring.