2015-10-13_REVISION - C1981014 (18)

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Prior to the field sampling, the permit monitoring requirements were carefully reviewed and discussed with Mr. Patterson (EFCI) and Ms. Janet Binns of the Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (CDRMS) regarding the proposed sampling and data analysis methods to be used. Verbal approval for these sampling methodologies was given in various conference calls, as well as written approval in the form of e-mails. In this revegetation monitoring report, the vegetation parameters of plant cover, forage production, species diversity, and woody plant density were sampled. These data were then utilized to evaluate the success of revegetation on the reclaimed areas compared with the reference areas as required and which are defined in the Southfield Mine Permit. Transect Locations. To ensure that all parcels within the various reclamation and reference areas being sampled had an equal chance of being selected, each reclamation and reference area was treated as a single sample unit and a totally randomized sampling scheme was implemented. Utilizing the mine maps; showing the specific reclamation and reference area locations, the 2012 Annual Reclamation Report maps prepared by the Southfield Mine and our GPS unit, the extreme north, south, east and west boundaries of each site sampled were converted to the 1983 Colorado State Plane Central Zone (NAD 83) coordinate system or the original Southfield Mine coordinate system. The interval used in the state plan coordinate system is based on foot increments. Given the typical real-time accuracy of the Trimble Model Geo XH GPS unit of plus or minus 50 cm (1.67 feet) used by IME, their transect locations were field located at a sub -meter accuracy. Mergen Ecological Delineations, Inc., used a Garmin GPS Map 76S model GPS unit which has an accuracy of approximately plus or minus 10 meters. Once the boundaries of the reclaimed and reference areas were delineated, the transect coordinates located within each study area were determined using a specifically designed computer software program which generates random coordinates. These coordinates were then entered into the GPS unit and the transect location starting points were located in the field using the navigate feature of the GPS unit. The transect alignment was determined by selecting a previously determined random direction based on the degrees of the compass (1 to 360 degrees) at each transect location starting point. At this point, a 50 -meter long tape was then laid out across the site following the bearing at each random transect location. All transects were kept within the designated sample unit boundaries. If the transect placement and bearing resulted in the transect alignment crossing a sample unit boundary, the transect line was backed up until it was all within the sample unit boundary or in instances where there was a narrow reclaimed area, the transect line was bent approximately 90 degrees at the point where the boundary line was crossed to ensure that the entire transect alignment was located within the designated sample area. Transect locations for each area sampled can be seen on the enclosed maps. Plant Cover. Plant cover was evaluated by sampling along the previously described 50 -meter transect tape on all of the reclaimed areas and on the Refuse Pile Reference Area and the Loadout Reference Area. A 10 -meter long transect length tape was used on the New Portal and Old Portal Reference Areas as previously recommended by Ms. Sandy Brown of the CDRMS. Along each transect, ten previously identified random points were used for collecting plant cover data. At each designated sample interval, an inclined metal ten -point frame one meter in height and width was positioned perpendicular to the tape and a sharpened metal rod was dropped. Each sample point was sampled at ten -centimeter intervals along the ten -point frame. This yielded 100 cover