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Stoddard and Smith (1955) reported that in excessively steep country "cattle should not go more than one -half mile <br />for water, though in more level areas that can be increased. Even in flat country they should not be expected to <br />travel more than 2.5 miles." Reclaimed land within the permit area will not be steep and the distance from water to <br />areas of suitable forage will not exceed these recommendations. <br />Field Trials <br />The soil stabilization procedures, species mixtures, planting and seeding times proposed in this permit application <br />are similar to those utilized on adjacent reclaimed mined land. Since the nearby test plots have been thoroughly <br />evaluated and the reclamation practices adjusted accordingly, TCC does not intend to conduct field trials. <br />Monitoring, Sampling, Statistical Testing, and Reference Comparison <br />This component of the reclamation plan addresses the basic approach for evaluation of revegetation success, <br />procedures for revegetation success sampling, and the statistical approach and criteria that will be used to evaluate <br />revegetation success sampling data, consistent with applicable provisions of Rules 4.15.7 and 4.15.8. <br />Revegetation success will be determined based on the results of revegetation sampling and subsequent statistical <br />success evaluations in accordance with the applicable portions of Rules 4.15.7, Determining Revegetation Success <br />— General Requirements and Standards; 4.15.8, Revegetation Success Criteria; 4.15.9, Revegetation Success <br />Criteria: Cropland; 4.15.10, Revegetation Success Criteria: Previously Mined Lands and Areas to be Developed for <br />Industrial or Residential Use; and 4.15.11, Revegetation Sampling Methods and Statistical Demonstrations for <br />Revegetation Success. <br />Revegetation sampling for the Foidel Creek Mine reclaimed areas will occur in the third or fourth, ninth, and tenth <br />year following permanent seeding. Only statistically adequate sampling data will be used for revegetation success <br />evaluations. Non - statistical monitoring data may be provided to support revegetation success discussions. <br />Revegetation success sampling and evaluation methods and procedures have been designed to meet all applicable <br />requirements of Rule 4.15.11. Revegetation success for reestablished plant communities will be evaluated for <br />specific parameters of the reclaimed vegetation type by comparing statistically adequate quantitative data from the <br />reclaimed area to similar data collected during the same time period for the corresponding vegetation reference area <br />or approved technical standards. <br />The reference area approach has been selected for revegetation success evaluations except for Hay Cropland, which <br />will use a performance technical standard approach. At the time of revegetation success evaluations, and <br />periodically during monitoring, quantitative vegetation data will be collected from the appropriate reference areas <br />established for the Foidel Creek Mine revegetation success evaluations. These reference areas are associated with <br />the following pre- disturbance and reclaimed vegetation communities: <br />Pre - Disturbance Reference Area Reclaimed Community <br />Sagebrush Sagebrush Grassland <br />Sagebrush Meadow Sagebrush Meadow <br />Pastureland Pastureland <br />Revegetation success parameters to be evaluated for each reclaimed type or community are as follows. <br />Reclaimed Community <br />Sagebrush Grassland <br />Sagebrush Meadow <br />Pastureland <br />• Hay Cropland <br />Parameters <br />Cover, production, diversity, woody density <br />Cover, production, diversity, woody density <br />Cover, production <br />Production <br />RN08 -05 2.05 -115 03/12/10 <br />