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Keenesburg Mine 2018 Vegetation Monitoring Report <br />EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />Quantitative vegetation monitoring of Reclamation Areas 25, 29, 30, 31, 32, 33, and 34 at the <br />Coors Energy Company (CEC) Keenesburg Mine was conducted in August 2018. Vegetation <br />cover, herbaceous production, and species composition were evaluated. Comparisons were made <br />between vegetation cover and herbaceou's production means from the reclamation areas and <br />predicted values calculated from the approved final revegetation success equations based on on- <br />site precipitation from September 2017 to July 2018. The predictive equations for vegetation <br />cover and herbaceous production were modified in Technical Revisions 43 and 46 to the <br />Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety (DRMS) Mining and Reclamation Permit <br />C-1981-028. The calculated final revegetation success vegetation cover standard value for 2018 <br />was 37.3%. The total herbaceous production standard was 151.2 g/mz. <br />Reclamation Areas 25, 32, 33, and 34 were evaluated for Phase II bond release. Reclamation <br />Areas 32 and 33 met the cover standard, but Reclamation Areas 25 and 34 did not. No <br />production data were collected in these areas because Phase II bond release does not include a <br />production standard. Phase II bond release guidelines only require that three warm season and <br />one cool season perennial grasses are present to meet the species composition technical standard <br />in the future and this requirement was met for all four Reclamation Areas. <br />Reclamation Areas 29, 30, and 31 were evaluated based on the guidelines for Phase III bond <br />release. Reclamation Areas 30 and 31 have not yet received Phase II bond release, but were <br />reclaimed at least nine years ago and eligible for the first year of Phase III monitoring. <br />Reclamation Areas 29 and 31 met the vegetation cover standard and Area 30 met the herbaceous <br />production standard in 2018, but no area met both standards. None of these Areas met the species <br />composition technical standard because none had the required component of one cool season <br />grass species contributing greater than 3% of the relative cover. <br />Quarterly inspections of the entire permitted area were conducted during 2018 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 CEC. <br />Reclamation Areas 31, 32, and 33 are eligible for Phase II bond release in 2018. <br />Habitat Management, Inc. 1 October 2018 <br />