2013-12-03_REVISION - C1980007 (3)

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Vegetation Cover The revegetation success criterion for total vegetation cover for the West Elk Mine is a standard based on quantitative sampling over multiple years at the Historic Records Study Area at the West Elk Mine. The final revegetation success criterion for total vegetation cover is 90 percent of 53.04 percent live vegetation cover with 90 percent statistical confidence. West Elk Mine Reclaimed Areas Total Vegetation Cover (2012/2013) Final Total Vegetation Cover Success Criterion: 53.04 % total vegetation cover 2012 Reclaimed Areas 2013 Reclaimed Areas Xbar 52.96 49.44 S 6.84 11.02 N 25 25 Nmin 3 9 Based on the results of the 2012 and 2013 quantitative sampling, the reclaimed areas met the final revegetation total cover vegetation success criterion of 53.04 percent, with means greater than 90% of the total vegetation cover final success criterion (i.e. > 47.74 %). Total Herbaceous Production Final Total Vegetation Cover Success Criterion: 180.38 g1m2 2012 Sampling 2013 Sampling Xbar 183.30 216.60 S 61.20 95.60 N 25 35 Nmin 19 33 Based on the results of the 2012 and 2013 quantitative sampling, the reclaimed areas exceeded the final revegetation total herbaceous production success criterion of 180.38 g/m2, with sample means greater than 90% of the total herbaceous production final success criterion. Species Composition The final species composition standard requires that there be at least three perennial species of which two are cool season perennial grasses and one is a cool season perennial forb. No one component of the above three species should comprise greater than 40% relative cover nor less than 3% relative cover, during a given year's quantitative sampling. Vegetation species which may be used in the calculation of species composition may be any plant species not defined as a noxious or prohibited plant species, and may be native or introduced.