2017-02-28_REPORT - C1981028 (30)

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Keenesburg Mine 2016 Vegetation Monitoring Report 8 SUMMARY Quantitative monitoring of Reclamation Area 29 revealed that this area meets the final revegetation success standards. Because Reclamation Area 29 has already achieved Phase II bond release, it will be monitored again in 2017 to determine if it is a candidate for Phase III bond release. Reclamation Area 25 has met the vegetation cover and herbaceous production standards, but not the species composition requirement. Reclamation Areas 23 and 30 met the herbaceous production, but failed to meet the vegetation cover or species composition standards and Reclamation Area 31 did not meet any of the revegetation success standards. Given the trend in decreasing overall cover and production over the past few years along with the increasing cheatgrass dominance, it may be necessary to take additional management actions to meet the Phase III bond release standards in these Reclamation Areas. Table 21: Success Standard Summary Reclamation Standard Reclamation Area 23 25 29 30 31 Vegetation Cover No Yes Yes No No Herbaceous Production Yes Yes Yes Yes No Species Composition No No Yes No No Success Standards Passed? No No Yes No No 9 LITERATURE CITED Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS). 1995. Guideline Regarding Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues (DRMS 1995). URL: http://mining. state.co.us/Programs/Coal/RulesRegs/DocumentsBondReleaseGuidelines.pdf [Accessed October 2016]. USDA, NRCS. 2016. The PLANTS Database. National Plant Data Team, Greensboro, NC. URL: http://plants.usda.gov, accessed August 2016. Weber, W. A and R. C. Wittmann. 2001. Colorado Flora Easter Slope: Third Edition. University Press of Colorado, Boulder, CO. Wingate, J. L. 1994. Illustrated Keys to the Grasses of Colorado. Wingate Consulting, Denver, CO. Habitat Management, Inc. 30 October 2016