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1JVolume 9A <br />BOWIE #1 MINE <br />PHASE III BOND RELEASE REVEGETATION SUCCESS STANDARDS - 2017 <br />Introduction <br />The Bowie#1 Mine is located approximately three miles northwest of Paonia, Colorado in a semi -arid <br />mountain ecosystem. Small tree and dense shrub vegetation communities surround the mine area and are <br />dominated by Utah juniper (Juniperus osteosperma) and Gambel oak (Quercusgambelii). The post -mining <br />land use of revegetation is livestock grazing, as well as deer and elk winter habitat. The three revegetation <br />units of the mine were evaluated by Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. (Cedar Creek) for Phase II Bond Release <br />Success in 2013 (West Mine and Run of Mine) and East Mine (2016). This included sampling of vegetative <br />cover only and calculation of species diversity from these results. Herbaceous production and woody plant <br />density values were estimated but not sampled. Based on these values, technical revision of Phase III <br />Bond Release revegetation success standards developed initially in the early 1980's are as follows (changes <br />are in boldface): <br />• Achieve a Total Plant Cover of >- 90% of the Total Plant Cover Standard of 60% (54%) - West <br />Mine <br />• Achieve a Total Plant Cover of >— 90% of the Total Plant Cover Standard of 40% (36%) — East <br />Mine and Run of Mine. <br />• Achieve annual herbaceous production levels of >— 90% of 450 pounds per acre (405) — West <br />Mine. <br />• Achieve annual herbaceous production levels of >— 90% of 400 pounds per acre (360) — East <br />Mine and Run of Mine. <br />• Achieve a woody plant density of >: 90% of 100 shrub, sub -shrub or trees per acre (90). <br />• Achieve a species diversity of >— 5 native or introduced, perennial herbaceous species with <br />between 0.5% and 60% relative cover. <br />• Achieve a species diversity of >— 3 native perennial, cool -season grass species with between <br />0.5% and 60% relative cover. <br />• Achieve a species diversity of >: 2 native or introduced perennial forb species with between <br />0.5% and 60% relative cover. <br />• Achieve a species diversity of >— 2 native shrub, tree or sub -shrub species, not exceeding a <br />relative cover value of >— 80%. <br />TR -63 <br />