2015-10-13_REVISION - C1981014 (18)

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reclaimed areas (44.59%) exceeds the calculated revegetation success standard for "allowable plant cover," obtained from the sampling of the three reference areas (27.44%), it can be determined by direct comparison that the "allowable plant cover" growing on all of the reclaimed sites would be considered successful with respect to the final bond revegetation success standard for "allowable plant cover." For the Southfield Loadout site, since sample adequacy was achieved for "allowable plant cover" on the Loadout Reference Area (N=21 and Nm=11.2) and for corresponding Loadout reclaimed areas (N=23 and Nm=12.7) and since the average plant cover on the Loadout reclaimed areas (25.65%) exceeds the calculated revegetation success standard for "allowable plant cover," obtained from the sampling of the Loadout Reference Area (21.35%), it can be determined by direct comparison that the "allowable plant cover" growing on the Loadout Reclaimed sites would be considered successful with respect to the final bond revegetation success standard for "allowable plant cover." Therefore, all of the Southfield Mine and Loadout reclaimed areas satisfy the 2013 Phase III revegetation bond release revegetation success standards with respect to "allowable plant cover." Forage Production. Sample adequacy was achieved with respect to the forage production sample of the sampling of the three combined Southfield Mine Reference Areas (N=90 and Nm=63.9) and for the three combined Southfield Mine Reclamation Areas(N=91 and Nm=19.8). Since the weighted average forage production on these reclaimed areas 23.10 g/1 /4m' or 823.3 pounds per acre, exceeds the calculated weighted average revegetation success standard obtained from the sampling of the three combined Reference Areas (5.79 g/1/4m2 or 206.4 pounds per acre) for forage production, it can be concluded with respect to forage production have been successful at the Southfield Mine area. At the Southfield Loadout area, sample adequacy was not achieved for forage production in the sampling of the Loadout Reference Area (N=30 and Nm=55.6). However, since the average forage production on the Loadout reclaimed areas 12.81 g/1/4M2 or 456.6 pounds per acre, exceeds the average revegetation success standard obtained from the sampling of the Loadout Reference Area (8.37 g/1/4m2 or 298.3 pounds per acre) for forage production, the "reverse null" statistical approach found in Rule 4.15.11 must be used. The calculated t,, value was calculated to equal 5.7038, which exceeded the calculated t value of 8.854, so it can be determined that the forage production satisfies the revegetation success standard for this parameter. Species Diversity. The three reclaimed areas at the Southfield Mine have the four dominant species comprising value of 63.80%, 75.91 % and 72.89%, and at the Loadout Reclamation 79.60% which are all less than the 80% value required by the Permit. Therefore, all of these reclaimed areas satisfy the four dominant species diversity standard of being less than 80%. The reclaimed warm season grass species diversity index value for the combined reclaimed areas at the Southfield Mine and Southfield Loadout Areas was calculated to equal 2.97, which is higher than the undisturbed reference area index value of 2.13. Therefore, it can be concluded that all of the reclaimed areas at the Southfield Mine and Southfield Loadout satisfy the warm season grass species diversity revegetation success standard. Shrub Density. As reported previously, the woody plant density revegetation standard was satisfied at the Southfield Refuse Pile reclamation, the Vento Portal Reclamation and the Southfield Loadout reclamation which all exceed the woody plant density standards approved in TR -45, thus all of the reclaimed areas located at the Southfield Mine and Southfield Loadout satisfy the Permit woody plant density revegetation success standards. In conclusion, all of the reclaimed areas located at the Southfield Mine and Southfield Loadout based upon these first year's revegetation monitoring data, satisfy the approved revegetation success standards with respect to "allowable plant cover," "perennial herbaceous forage production," "shrub density" and "species diversity." 28