Laserfiche WebLink
2.8 TECHNIQUES FOR EVALUATION OF RECLAMATION SUCCESS <br />The reclamation success will be qualitatively evaluated during routine inspections of the reclaimed <br />sites. These evaluations shall include an assessment of noxious weeds, species diversity and the <br />general health of the vegetation. Results of these evaluations will be included in the annual <br />reclamation reports required under Rule 2.04.13. <br />Reclaimed areas will be checked annually after snowmelt for the formation of rills and gullies. To <br />document each inspection, a report will be prepared and the report will be available for inspection as <br />required under Rule 5.02.4. Rills and gullies deeper than nine inches will be noted on the report. By <br />the end of September of the same year, laborers or small equipment will be used to fill, grade or <br />otherwise stabilize rills and gullies deeper than nine inches. The repaired area will be seeded and <br />mulched by the end of the same year. Mulch will be anchored to the ground with netting if <br />appropriate. <br />A common reference area has been established for the juniper woodland and mountain shrubland <br />plant communities. Evaluations of reclamation success will include comparisons of total vegetative <br />cover, herbaceous production, and species diversity. The evaluations for the total vegetative cover <br />and herbaceous production will be based on a comparison of reclaimed area and reference area non - <br />noxious, perennial values. Data will be collected for each parameter in the reclaimed area and the <br />reference area and statistically compared if necessary. <br />Species diversity success will be evaluated via technical standards. The evaluation of species diversity <br />success will depend o the size of the land unit being released. Because there is a cumulative effect to <br />species diversity (as opposed to the other vegetative parameters) where larger area can be expected to <br />accumulate more species as habitat diversity increases, smaller areas are expected to be less diverse <br />than larger tracts. Where a bond release request involves acreage summing to more than 10 acres, the <br />following species diversity standard will apply: <br />Of the perennial species present in the reclaimed areas, at least four will have a relative cover <br />between 3 and 60%. Of these four species, at least one will be a forb or shrub, and applicable <br />perennial grasses will be cool -season species. <br />Where a bond release request involves acreage summing to less than 10 acres, the following species <br />diversity standard will apply: <br />Of the perennial species present in the reclaimed areas, at least three will have a relative cover <br />between 1 and 60%. Of these three species, at least one will be a forb or shrub, and <br />applicable perennial grasses will be cool -season species. <br />Quantitative monitoring of revegetation success will occur in parallel with Phase II and Phase III <br />bond release requests. As part of a Phase II bond release request, which is planned to occur prior to <br />the fifth year after seeding, reclaimed areas will be sampled for absolute cover to determine if the <br />reclaimed community has been achieved 90% of the cover success standard. Only first -hit cover data <br />will be collected. No production data would be collected at this time. The diversity is checked in <br />accordance with the Division's Bond Release Guidelines, to assess the progress of revegetation to <br />determine if sufficient number of species are being established. <br />Quantitative sampling will also take place in the ninth and tenth years after seeding reclaimed surfaces <br />if a Phase III bond release request is considered warranted at that point. Sampling methodology will <br />reflect that outlined below. <br />PR04 __H--� /-/" 8 Revised May 2001 <br />