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D oc Date:1211112001 1111111111111111111 <br /> 4.4 RANGELAND <br /> The reestablishment of rangelands on disturbed lands at Trapper Mine is a primary objective of <br /> revegetation efforts at Trapper Mine. The revegetation plan for rangelands, Section 3.6.3 details <br /> methods and procedures by which the above goal will be achieved. Methods of determining whether <br /> successful rangeland reestablishment has been obtained are discussed in this section along with field <br /> techniques and methods of data reduction. All lands within Trapper Mine's proposed permit area are <br /> considered to be shrublands (refer to Section 2.3). <br /> S�V 4 4 1 Conceptuall Plan for TestlinMReyeaetation Success <br /> Trapper Mine's plan for testing revegetation success originally relied on the theory of reference areas to <br /> compare with reclaimed sites. While intuitively this concept would appear to accommodate year to year <br /> variations and vegetation trends over time, it has not yet been proven that biotic and abiotic influences <br /> will be similar enough for any two separate areas to behave the same way and maintain the same <br /> relationship over time. Confirmation of the theory is considered a prerequisite to-using it for testing <br /> revegetation success. Presently, that theory has not been confirmed. Thus, the methods proposed for <br /> testing revegetation success are not based on reference areas. Trapper Mine, however, reserves the <br /> right to revisit the proposed methods at a future time if circumstances so dictate. <br /> Success will be judged on the basis of three parameters and their interpretation. These are: 1) canopy <br /> cover of herbaceous species and litter, 2)total standing biomass of herbaceous species, and 3) a woody <br /> stem density of 400 stems/acre. Where the planned primary post-mining land uses are both grazing of <br /> domestic livestock and habitat for important wildlife species (range sites A and B), all three parameters <br /> will be used to judge success. For range site C, only the first two standards, canopy cover and standing <br /> biomass of herbaceous species, will be applied. Diversity of reclaimed areas will be evaluated from <br /> cover data expressed as composition. <br /> 4.4.1.1 Herbaceous Cover Standards <br /> The required standards, cover and production, are complementary evaluations of a reclaimed area. A <br /> production standard provides the regulatory authority assurance that a parcel of reclaimed land is <br /> capable of supporting the intended postmine land use. In our case, these uses are grazing and wildlife <br /> habitat. <br /> The cover standard functions as a protection to the soil resource. It insures that sufficient topsoil is <br /> maintained to promote some level of plant production on reclaimed lands. The cover standard should be <br /> such that it promotes a reasonably stable landscape. Moreover, on the average, soil building processes <br /> should exceed soil degradation or loss. <br /> 4-101 <br /> Revision: <br /> Approved: 2/i s"S <br />