2015-10-13_REVISION - C1981014 (18)

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combined warm season grass species diversity standard which applies to both the Southfield Mine and Southfield Loadout areas this will be discussed latter on. With respect to the successfulness of revegetation efforts relative to shrub density on the Southfield Loadout Reclamation Study Area, there is a technical standard of "6.3 stems per acre." Since sample adequacy was not achieved for the "shrub density" sampling of the Loadout Reclaimed Area (N=30 and Nm=129.1), application of the "reverse null" statistical approach documents that with respect to "shrub density" for the Loadout Reclaimed Area, the t. value was calculated to equal 5.3877. Since the calculated the t. value (5.3877) from the Loadout Reclamation Area Phase III reclaimed area exceeds the t, value (0.854), it can be concluded that Loadout Reclamation Area, satisfies the revegetation success standard for "shrub density." Warm Season Species Diversity According to revised permit page 2.05.4-27, approved in connection with TR -45, the warm season grass species revegetation success standard "will be based on a weighted average factor, based upon the acreages of the four currently approved reference areas in calculating the final warm -season species diversity revegetation success standard." The final warm season grass species diversity standard is calculated using the following method. The total acreage of the four currently approved reference areas is 6.31 acres with the following acreages corresponding to each reference area. The Refuse Pile Reference Area 2.80 acres; the New Portal Reference Area 1.68 acres; the Old Portal Reference Area 0.29 acres; and the Loadout Reference Area 1.02 acres. Based upon these acreages, the corresponding weighting factor for each of these four reference areas would be 48.35, 29.02, 5.01 and 17.62%, respectively. Examination of the plant cover data for these four reference areas reveals that there are: 2, 2, 1 and 3 warm season grass species having relative cover values of greater than three percent, respectively for these four reference areas. Multiplication of these four weighting factors by these warm season species counts having relative cover of greater than three percent, yields the following weighted factors for each of these four reference areas, 0.9670, 0.5804, 0.0501 and 0.5286, respectively. Addition of these four weighted factors yields a weighted average warm season revegetation success standard for 2013 of 2.13 warm season species. The revegetation success diversity criteria for warm season grass species for the combined reclaimed areas located at the Southfield Mine and Southfield Loadout is calculated using the following method. The total acreage of the four reclaimed areas located at the Southfield Mine and Southfield Loadout is 81.87 acres with the following acreages corresponding to each reclaimed area. The Refuse Pile Reclamation 46.38 acres; the Vento Portal Reclamation 10.22 acres; the Corley Reclamation 11.71 acres; and the Loadout Reclamation 13.56 acres. Based upon these acreages, the corresponding weighting factor for each of these four reclaimed areas would be 56.66, 12.48, 14.30 and 16.56%, respectively. Examination of the plant cover data for these four reclaimed areas documents that there are: 3, 3, 4 and 2 warm season grass species having greater than 3 percent relative cover, respectively for these four reclaimed areas. Multiplication of these four weighting factors by these warm season species counts having relative cover of greater than three percent, yields the following weighted factors for each of these four reclaimed areas; 1.6998, 0.3654, 0.5720 and 0.3312, respectively. Addition of these four weighted factors yields a weighted average warm season reclamation success standard for these four reclaimed areas of 2.97 warm season species. Since the reclamation warm season grass species diversity index of 2.97 is greater than the undisturbed reference area index value of 2.13, it can be concluded that the warm season grass species diversity standard for the reclaimed areas at the Southfield Mine and Loadout areas has been satisfied. CONCLUSIONS Plant Cover. With respect to the successfulness of revegetation efforts on the 2013 Phase III Reclamation Study Areas at the Southfield Mine, since sample adequacy was achieved for the "allowable plant cover" sampling of these three reference areas (N=66 and Nm= 4.9) and for all three reclaimed areas (N=55 and Nm=8.8) and since the weighted average plant cover on the 27