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The terraces are level in the south-north direction, the general slope of the mine site with a <br />slight down slope in a east-west direction, which will facilitate the retention of the runoff <br />waters from above. There should be no, or at least only a minimum, runoff from any of <br />the terraces, which will assure a maximum benefit to the growth of the vegetation. The <br />slopes have been stable over the past nine years, including the first two years without any <br />vegetation. Presently, the vegetation has been well established. A discussion of the slope <br />stability is attached as prepared by a professional geotechnical engineer is included in <br />Exhibit 4.7-4. <br />Figure 4.7-2 shows in detail the delineation of the cropland, reclaimed and revegetated <br />pasture/wildlife habitat areas, which were undisturbed during the mine development. <br />4.4.2.10 Revegetation Success and Evaluation <br />Sampling Schedule: <br />The bulk of initial evaluation of revegetation success for reclaimed areas will be qualitative <br />in nature. NCIG understands that the more carefully the revegetated sites are watched in <br />the first five years after planting, the greater is the opportunity to quickly address <br />deficiencies that become apparent. Quantitative monitoring will be timed in accordance <br />with Phase II and Phase III bond release requests. <br />• Ve (elation Sampling -General <br />As part of a Phase II bond release request, which is planned to occur prior to the fifth year <br />after reseeding, sagebrush reclaimed areas will be sampled for absolute cover to determine <br />if the reclaimed community has achieved 90% of the reference area's cover. Only first-hit <br />cover data will be collected. No production data will be collected at this time in the <br />sagebrush disturbed or reference areas. Quantitative sampling will also take place in the <br />ninth and tenth years after seeding reclaimed surfaces if a Phase III bond release request is <br />considered warranted at that point. Phase II and Phase III bond release requests <br />regarding the irrigated hayland will involve only production sampling. <br />It is not anticipated that the sampling methods used during the baseline study will be <br />repeated when the operator determines whether revegetation has been successful. The <br />methods which are outlined below will apply instead. The methodology reflects the <br />recently accepted DMG Bond Release Guideline (Guideline Regarding Selected Coal <br />Mine Bond Release Issues. Anril 18. 1995). <br />Ncio - c°.i way a ~ 4-62 11-26-96 <br />