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3.0 RESULTS <br />3.1 QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION: RECLAIMED AREAS <br />The reclaimed areas sampled encompass 22.1 acres in 22 identified distinct parcels within <br />four locales in the West Elk Mine permit area. The reclaimed areas range from 0.1 to 8.5 <br />acres in size and ranged in age from 10-12 years in age. The location, size, and age of the <br />reclamation sites are presented above in the West Elk Mine 2014 Phase III Bond Release <br />Eligible Areas table. <br />Specific vegetation information for the reclaimed areas is contained in Tables 1, 2, and 3. <br />3.1.1 Total Vegetation Cover <br />Total mean vegetation cover of the reclaimed areas was 69.04 percent. Graminoids provided <br />42.70 percent mean cover (60.32% relative cover), forbs accounted for 21.04 percent mean <br />cover (30.46% relative cover), and ten woody species contributed 5.30 percent mean total <br />cover and 9.23 percent relative cover. The most frequently encountered species was Poa <br />pratensis (Kentucky bluegrass), present in 100 percent of the 23 transects sampled for <br />vegetation cover. Bromus marginatus (mountain brome) was present in 83 percent of <br />transects, Agropyron smithii (western wheatgrass) was found in 74 percent of all transects, <br />while Agropyron dasystachyum (thickspike wheatgrass) was encountered in 70 percent of all <br />transects. The native forb Achillea lanulosa (western yarrow) was reported in 61 percent of <br />cover transects. All other species were encountered in fewer than fifty percent of the <br />vegetation cover transects. <br />Overall within the reclaimed areas, there was one dominant perennial cool season native <br />grass species; Agropyron smithii with a contribution of 12.00 percent total vegetation cover <br />and 17.06 percent relative cover. Three cool season native or naturalized graminoids were <br />subdominant in the reclaimed areas; Poa pratensis, contributing 10.09 percent total cover <br />(14.19% relative cover), Agropyron dasystachyum providing 9.48 percent total and 13.59 <br />percent relative cover, and Bromus marginatus with 8.26 percent total cover (11.21% relative <br />cover). <br />Three additional species encountered during vegetation cover sampling contributed <br />significant vegetation cover (defined as three or more percent relative cover) including; <br />Achillea lanulosa with 4.09 percent total vegetation cover and 5.46 percent relative cover, <br />Pteridium aquilinum (bracken) with 2.78 percent total vegetation cover (4.86% relative <br />cover), and Thermopsis montanus (golden banner) contributed 1.83 percent total vegetation <br />cover, with 3.27 percent relative cover. <br />Vegetative litter (prior years growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br />comprised 19.22 percent ground cover overall within the reclaimed areas. Bare soil <br />comprised 11.22 percent of the ground cover. Rock accounted for 0.52 percent of the ground <br />cover sampled. Cryptogams were not encountered during this year's sampling. <br />Mountain Coal Comparry, LLC West Elk Mine Page 7 <br />2014 Vegetation Report: Phase III Bond Release Eligible Areas <br />