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Phase III standards compare vegetative cover, herbaceous productivity, species diversity and <br />seasonality, and woody plant density. The success standards must be achieved for two years, but <br />sampling may not occur until at least nine years have passed since the last year of seeding or <br />augmentation. EFCI conducted vegetation sampling in 2013 and 2014. <br />As noted in the Phase II portion of this Findings, the reclaimed area at both the loadout and the mine <br />exceeded the cover standard for 2013. Also noted in the Phase II portion, cover values includes all <br />annual or biennial species less any noxious weed species. <br />The plant cover on the reclaimed mine area in 2014 was 46.78 percent. The comparable cover on the <br />applicable reference areas was 35.31 percent in 2014. The Division finds that the reclaimed areas at <br />the mine exceeded the standard for cover in 2014. <br />In 2014 the reclaimed loadout allowable cover was 39.10 percent. The cover at the loadout reference <br />area in 2014 was 28.67 percent. The reclaimed loadout exceeded the cover standard for 2014. <br />For the purposes on these findings, the terms forage, herbaceous productivity, and herbaceous <br />biomass shall be considered synonymous. <br />Herbaceous productivity on the reclaimed mine areas in 2013 was 823.2 lb. forage per acre. The <br />2013 acreage weighted value for the mine area reference areas was 232.0 lbs. forage per acre. The <br />reclaimed area produced more than three times available forage biomass in 2013 than the reference <br />areas. The Division finds the mine area reclamation was successful for herbaceous productivity for <br />2013. <br />Herbaceous productivity on the mine area reclaimed areas in 2014 was 1,667 lbs. forage per acre. <br />The comparable mine area reference area acreage weighted herbaceous production value for 2014 <br />was 836.8 lbs. forage per acre. The reclaimed mine area herbaceous productivity exceeded the mine <br />area reference areas for 2014. <br />In 2013 the reclaimed loadout herbaceous productivity was 456.5 lbs. forage per acre. The loadout <br />reference area produced 289.3 lbs. forage per acre in 2013. The Division finds that the loadout <br />exceeded the standard for herbaceous productivity in 2013. <br />For 2014 herbaceous productivity at the reclaimed loadout was 885.7 lbs. forage per acre. The <br />herbaceous productivity on the loadout reference area in 2014 was 402.7 lbs. forage per acre. The <br />Division finds the loadout productivity was successful for 2014. <br />Diversity success requirements are two -fold: 1) the four most dominant plant species per sampling <br />effort may not contribute greater than 80% relative cover, and 2) warm season grass diversity index <br />(as defined in the permit) must equal or exceed the warm season grass diversity index determined <br />from the four reference areas. <br />Southfield Mine SL -03 Page 19 of 21 February 23, 2016 <br />