Laserfiche WebLink
Tabetha Lynch <br />Page 5 <br />July 11, 2016 <br />relative cover on the site. In the 2015 sampling for the range site C block, there were five cool <br />season grasses that met the relative cover criteria (Intermediate Wheatgrass, Greatbasin Wildrye, <br />Western Wheatgrass, Sheep Fescue and Kentucky Bluegrass) and one forb species (Alfalfa) with <br />the most dominate species contributing 16.6% of the total relative cover with the four most <br />dominant species on the site contributing 47.02% of the total relative cover on the site. The <br />revegetation monitoring confirms that for both sampling periods, the species diversity standard <br />has been met for the range site A/B block. <br />There is a woody plant density standard for reclamation range site A/B blocks, however there is <br />not a standard required for range site C blocks. The woody plant density (WPD) success <br />standard for range site A/B blocks is composed of two components. The first component is a <br />measure of overall shrub density for the bond release block. The success standard for the first <br />component is 400 shrubs per acre; measured during the cover data collection. The second <br />component is comprised of concentrated shrub clumps. Two shrub clumps, SC -F-04 and SC -F- <br />06 were included in the lands requested for Phase III bond release under this application (SL -17). <br />The revegetation monitoring data submitted with the application measured 918.7 shrubs per acre <br />exist in the range site AB block in 2014, and 1,138.6 shrubs per acre in 2015. In 2014; Big <br />Sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), Antelope Bitterbrush (Purshia tridentate), Mountain <br />Snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus) and Rubber Rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) <br />were the most commonly encountered shrubs contributing 402.0, 163.2, 163.2 and 105.2 shrubs <br />per acre respectively. In 2015, Rubber Rabbitbrush, Big Sagebrush, Gamble Oak (Quercus <br />gambelii), Mountain Snowberry and Antelope Bitterbrush were the most commonly encountered <br />shrubs, contributing 364.2, 296.8, 128.2, 116.2 and 89 shrubs per acre respectively. <br />The shrub clumps are composed of transplanted shrub pads. If pads exhibit 10 or more live <br />shrubs per pad, the pad is considered alive. If fifty -percent or more of the shrub pads within a <br />clump are considered alive, the clump is considered successful. According to these reports, the <br />2014 sample data found on average of 71.65% live pads within the clumps, while the 2015 <br />sample data recorded 63.67% live pads within the clumps. Given the results summarized above, <br />the shrub clumps and woody plant densities measured for the bond release block AB were <br />considered successful. <br />Based on the data presented in the two reports prepared by IME, the revegetation at the Trapper <br />Mine for the range site AB and C bond release block is deemed successful. <br />Liability Reduction Amount <br />According to section 5.0 of the SL -17 bond release application, TMI is not requesting a <br />