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Post-SMCRA Reclaimed Areas <br />Comparison of the post-SMCRA reclaimed area values for vegetation cover, herbaceous <br />production, and species composition with the applicable revegetation success criteria <br />indicates whether revegetation has been successful and compliant with requirements for <br />Phase III bond release. For the Elk Creek Mine post-SMCRA revegetation, the vegetation <br />cover and herbaceous production revegetation success criteria are derived from the <br />extended reference area, native vegetation communities immediately adjacent to the <br />reclaimed areas. <br />The revegetation cover success criterion is the mean value of total herbaceous vegetation <br />cover of the extended reference area sampling in a given year. <br />The herbaceous production revegetation success criterion is the mean value of the total <br />herbaceous production of the extended reference area sampling in a given year. <br />Achievement of species composition success is evaluated through an established criterion <br />based on the species composition of the native vegetation communities adjacent to the <br />mine. The Elk Creek Mine permit document specifies that to meet the requirements of the <br />revegetation success criterion for species composition, species composition on any <br />applicable post-SMCRA reclaimed areas will be successful when there are three or more <br />perennial or biennial plant species of which two are graminoids and one is a perennial or <br />biennial forb or shrub. No one component of the above three species should comprise <br />greater than 60% relative cover nor less than 2% relative cover, during a given year's <br />quantitative sampling. <br />Oxbow Mining LLC 2020 Phase III Bond Release Synopsis (SL-04) Page 6 <br />