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Keenesburg Mine 2016 Vegetation Monitoring Report <br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />Quantitative vegetation monitoring of Reclamation Areas 23, 25, 29, 30, and 31 at the Coors <br />Energy Company (CEC) Keenesburg Mine was conducted in August 2016. Vegetation cover, <br />herbaceous production, and species composition were evaluated. Comparisons were made <br />between total vegetation cover and total herbaceous production means from the reclamation <br />areas and predicted values calculated from the approved final revegetation success equations <br />based on on-site precipitation from September 2015 to July 2016. The predictive equations for <br />vegetation cover and herbaceous production were modified in Technical Revisions 43 and 46 to <br />the Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS) Mining and Reclamation <br />Permit C-1981-028. <br />The calculated final revegetation success vegetation cover standard value for 2016 is 36.4%. <br />Thus, the total vegetation cover with noxious weeds removed for the Reclamation Areas must <br />exceed 32.8% (90% x 36.4 = 32.8). Reclamation Areas 25 and 29 both exceeded this standard <br />with mean vegetation cover values of 33.6% and 38.2%, respectively. Data from the other three <br />Reclamation Areas were further subjected to hypothesis testing based on the DRMS guidelines <br />for Bond Release, but failed to meet the most stringent sample adequacy testing. <br />The total herbaceous production standard was 186.9 g/m2. Reclamation Areas (23, 25, 29, and <br />30) all exceed 90% of this standard, with mean herbaceous production of 209.3 g/m2, 179.6 g/m2 <br />229.6 g/m2, and 258.7 g/m2, respectively. However, Reclamation Area 31 fell short with mean <br />herbaceous production of 109.2 g/m2. <br />Reclamation Area 29 just passed the species composition standard with four perennial warm <br />season grasses and one perennial cool season grass with at least 3% of the relative cover. All <br />other Reclamation Areas fell short of the species composition standard because none had the <br />required component of one cool season grass species contributing greater than 3% of the relative <br />cover. <br />Quarterly inspections of the entire permitted area were conducted during 2016 to monitor for the <br />presence and impacts of noxious weeds, pests, or disease to the revegetation. No pests or <br />diseases were identified during these inspections. The primary noxious weed observed during <br />these inspections was cheatgrass which is pervasive on the reclamation and is being aggressively <br />treated by Coors. Small isolated populations of bindweed and Canada thistle were also observed <br />and will be managed. <br />Habitat Management, Inc. 1 October 2016 <br />