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Considerations for the approved 2005 Dryland Pasture Reference Area and resultant implications on <br />suitability as an appropriate target for a "standards base" for dryland pasture reclamation are as follows: <br />2005 Dryland Pasture Reference Area <br />Pros Cons <br />• Species observed in this area are This site is located on Barx soils. This soil <br />representative of dryland pasture type occupies approximately 11% of the <br />reclamation. New Horizon permit area, the majority of <br />which is on the Morgan tract and not <br />targeted for dryland pasture reclamation. <br />• Elevated cover and production values do <br />not represent logical targets for <br />reclamation. <br />• The currently approved reference area is <br />not mine controlled and approximately 2 <br />miles to the south of the reclamation. <br />• Land management, including grazing and <br />pest control, of the approved reference <br />area is dissimilar to management of the <br />reclamation areas. <br />Given the collected data and based on these considerations, the Old Peabody Sage Reference Area <br />is the most suitable area to represent a logical target for dryland pasture reclamation. It is most <br />representative of permit area soils and the vegetative productivity of those soils; it is under the control of <br />the mine; it has been approved by CDRMS in the past; and it simply is the best ecological equivalent for <br />testing reclamation aimed toward the dryland pasture land use. <br />Statistical Testing <br />A direct statistical comparison with data from the same year cannot be made between the New <br />Horizon North Dryland Pasture Baseline and Old Peabody Sagebrush Reference Area because both areas <br />were not sampled concurrently. The baseline survey was conducted in 2009, whereas evaluation of the <br />Old Peabody Reference Area didn't re -commence until 2014. However, a comparison was made between <br />2009 Dryland Pasture Baseline evaluation and 2014 Old Peabody Sagebrush Reference Area evaluation <br />(Table 5). This comparison is appropriate because growing season precipitation (March — May) was <br />similar for both years with 2.67 inches in 2009 and 3.12 inches in 2014. The results of the t-test indicate <br />that the 2009 Dryland Pasture Baseline and 2014 Old Peabody Sagebrush Reference Area is comparable <br />for herbaceous perennial production, but not vegetative cover (Table 5). The baseline average for <br />vegetative cover is lower than the reference area values leading to incomparable statistical comparison. <br />Attachment 2.04.1 OC Page 24 May 2017 (TR -14) <br />