2016-10-03_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A ‎(2)‎

• Permit No: C1981019A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 10/3/2016
• Doc Name: Performance Standards
• Section_Exhibit Name: Volume 15 Rule 4
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

RULE 4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS
As indicated in Rule 4.15.7 (5) the 10 -year liability period will begin following the last year of augmented
seeding, fertilization, irrigation, or related revegetation work. To facilitate bond release, revegetation
success criteria must be met for two of the last four years of the liability period excepting that sampling
for final success determination cannot occur prior to year 9 of this period (unless these rules are changed
to be less restrictive by the Division). The liability period will be re-initiated for augmentation work
excepting work associated with normal management activities as defined under Rule 4.15.7 (5) (a -g).
This allows the liability period to remain unchanged for such revegetation metrics as "interseeding"
(4.15.7 (5)(g)) of additional grasses and forbs into a stand targeting shrubs to increase cover values of
these life forms.
To summarize the use of reference areas in this testing process, the following will occur. There are three
reference areas (RAs) that will be utilized for testing against reclamation on the Collom mining area
These reference areas are: Mountain Shrub RA, Sagebrush RA, and Grassland RA. All grasslands
(grasslands) reclaimed on the Collom mining area shall be compared to weighted parameters from the
Mountain Shrub RA (39% weight), the Sagebrush RA (47% weight) and Grassland RA (14% weight) in
accordance with 4.15.7(4)(b). All Collom mining area reclaimed lands that evolve into a Sagebrush
Steppe community' will be directly compared to the Sagebrush RA.
4.15.8 Revegetation Success Criteria
Colowyo will meet the requirements of this Subsection to insure that the post -mining vegetation in the
Collom mining area will be adequate for final bond release. As delineated under Subsections 4.15.7 and
2.05.4, Colowyo will utilize established reference areas (see Section 4.15.7 above) for the purpose of
comparing vegetation information between the reclaimed area and the undisturbed area for the variables
of ground cover and production. For the variables of woody plant density and species diversity, Colowyo
shall compare revegetated area parameters against defined standards detailed later in this section. Data to
be used in these comparisons must be from statistically adequate sampling (where necessary) as indicated
in Rule 4.15.11. In instances where grassland targeted reclamation areas exhibit the characteristics of the
sagebrush steppe areas and can meet the release standards for core or ecotonal sagebrush steppe, Colowyo
will seek release and credit for the creation of those areas towards fulfillment of the minimum habitat
development requirement (350 acres). In the unlikely but not impossible event that areas targeted for
sagebrush steppe display community characteristics that will not meet the sagebrush steepe area release
criteria but do for the grassland criteria, Colowyo will designate those acres as grassland. Colowyo will
have to specifically designate the location of both grassland and sagebrush steppe areas prior to the
initiation of phase III bond release data collection. For descriptive purposes, "evolved" sagebrush steppe
areas refer to lands originally seeded to grassland that exhibit sufficient community characteristics of the
sagebrush steppe community to be fully released as either core or ecotonal areas. Areas defined as
"targeted" sagebrush steppe are by definition the areas originally seeded to the sagebrush steppe plant
community that exhibit the characteristics of that community and meet either the core or ecotonal
requirement for full release.
Herbaceous Cover
For revegetation targeting (and achieving) the land use subcomponent of grassland, herbaceous cover of
the revegetated area will be considered adequate for final bond release if it is not less than 90% of the
herbaceous cover as determined from the reference areas with a 90% statistical confidence utilizing a
. Areas that evolve into a sagebrush steppe community cannot be determined with certainty until several years following seeding,
emergence, and maturation of shrubs. Emergence of this community may occur in both areas where sagebrush steppe is targeted
as well as those grassland targeted areas that receive significant sagebrush seed. Any sagebrush steppe that evolves in either of
these areas will be delineated with GPS techniques, sampled accordingly, and tested against the Sagebrush RA at the time Phase
III Bond Release measurements begin.
Collom — Rule 4, Page 21 Revision Date: 4/18/16
Revision No.: PR -04