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outside of the disturbance area boundary. Revegetation success is compared to 90% of the <br />acreage weighted value of the five dominant vegetative communities based on the ratio of the <br />pre- mining make up of the vegetative communities. The five dominant pre- mining communities <br />and the respective ratios applied to the acreage weighted ratios are as follows; Aspen 11.0 %, <br />Mountain brush 34.5 %, Steep Mountain brush 12.8 %, Sagebrush/snowberry 31.3 %, and Western <br />wheatgrass /Alkali sagebrush 10.4 %. <br />Roads <br />A number of existing roads within the permit area have been approved as permanent structures <br />for the postmining land use, to allow for access through the permit area by multiple private <br />landowners, and to provide access to various portions of the permit area to facilitate postmining <br />use and management. Phase 11 reclamation success of reduced roadways is included in the <br />overall vegetation sampling for portions of Road G, Ridgeline access road, LU -3 and LU -4 <br />comprising 10.1 acres <br />Road G and Ridgeline access road have been approved for permanent retention as access roads. <br />These two roads are included in the Phase II bond release with SL5. These roads were modified <br />for postmining use by eliminating MSHA berms, reducing travel width to 20 feet wide and <br />grading and seeding roadsides and graded slopes. <br />Several light use roads have been approved for permanent retention as ranch roads mostly to <br />replace ranch road segments that were in place on the landscape prior to mining. Light -use roads <br />included in the SL -5 Phase II application include portions of LU -3 and LU -4, and are generally <br />reduced to twelve feet in width, and graded and seeded on the roadsides. <br />Road 53C (Mine Entrance Haul Road and Oil Well Access Road) and Haul Roads A, J, and K <br />have been approved to remain as permanent roads. Phase I bond release was approved for <br />County Road 53C (Mine Entrance Haul Road and Oil Well Access Road) and Haul Roads A, J, <br />and K with the approval of SL -4. These roads were not included in the SL -5 application. The <br />Division is not approving a Phase II bond release on these roads at this time. <br />III. OBSERVATIONS AND FINDINGS <br />The evaluation of this bond release application (SL -5) included the bond release inspection, an <br />office review of the permit requirements and regulatory criteria, and review of past inspection <br />reports. The bond release inspection was conducted August 13, 2013. Mr. Roy Karo of Seneca <br />Coal Company attended a portion of the bond release inspection. The Division conducted a <br />complete inspection on August 12, 2013, with the bond release inspection conducted on August 13, <br />2013. The inspection report reflects the August 12, 2013 date. <br />During the Phase II bond release inspection, participants walked through most of the bond <br />release request area to allow for visual assessment of compliance with pertinent requirements as <br />described above in Section II of this document. The August 12, 2013 inspection report details <br />Page 11 of 18 <br />