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INTRODUCTION <br />Quantitative sampling of reclaimed areas at Seneca Coal Company's (SCC) Yoast Mine was <br />undertaken in July 2013 by Chenoweth & Associates in cooperation with ESCO Associates to <br />facilitate SCC's continued interim monitoring of the progress of these areas in relation to <br />revegetation performance standards. Methods, sample areas, and sample sizes were those <br />specified by SCC. <br />METHODS <br />Reclamation Units and Sampling Locations <br />The reclamation units sampled for purposes of interim monitoring at the Yoast Mine in 2013 are <br />shown on Map 1, "2013 Interim Monitoring Locations ". For purposes of interim monitoring as <br />dictated by permit conditions, areas seeded in 2006 (seven -year old area) were sampled in 2013. <br />Extended Reference Area Sampling <br />The Aspen, Mountain Brush, Sagebrush /Snowberry, and Steep Mountain Brush Extended <br />Reference Areas at the Yoast Mine sampled in 2012 for the Phase III Bond Release <br />studies) provided data for comparison with reclaimed area interim monitoring data. Reference <br />Area sampling locations are shown on Map 2, "2012 Extended Reference Area Monitoring <br />Sample Locations ". <br />Cover Sampling <br />Cover data were collected along 50 m transects using a point- intercept method in which data <br />were recorded as interceptions of a point with a plant species, litter, standing dead plant material, <br />soil, or rock. Plant material produced during the current year and still standing was tallied by <br />species. Litter was considered to be any organic material that had fallen, or had begun to fall to <br />the soil surface. Standing dead was any dead plant material that was produced in previous years <br />but which was still standing and had not lodged or broken off to become litter. Inorganic material <br />greater than 1 cm in diameter was considered rock. The cover sampling points were optically <br />projected using a Cover -Point Optical Point Projection Device developed by ESCO Associates. <br />50 m transects were randomly located and randomly oriented in the reclaimed areas. Reference <br />areas used 50 m transects that were randomly located and oriented in 2012. One hundred points <br />were collected along each transect. At each meter along the 50 m length, points were projected <br />0.5 m to the right and 0.5 to the left of the transect, thus minimizing trampling effects. <br />