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proposed to approve their construction (4.14.2(3)). <br /> The proposed operation is in compliance with the requirements of this section. <br /> XL Revegetation <br /> Information on baseline vegetation for the Seneca IIW Mine permit area comprises Tab 10. <br /> Section 10.1 constitutes the original approved permit application package and Section 10.2 <br /> presents the 1997 supplemental baseline study of the Seneca IIW South Extension area. <br /> Information on the revegetation plan and revegetation success criteria for the permit area make <br /> up Tab 22 of the permit application. <br /> The applicant utilizes an extended reference area concept. The components of the extended <br /> reference areas are represented by a minimum of 100 acres of undisturbed aspen community, <br /> 300 acres of big sagebrush/grassland community, 450 acres of mixed brush community, and <br /> 150 acres of western wheatgrass/alkali sagebrush community. In the IIW South Extension <br /> area, the extended reference area are represented by a minimum of 230 acres of aspen forest, <br /> 300 acres of mountain brush, 150 acres of steep mountain brush, 200 acres of sagebrush and <br /> 100 acres of wheatgrass/alkali sagebrush. <br /> The permanent seed mixes are composed predominantly of native species, and the few <br /> introduced species included are desirable and necessary to achieve the approved post- <br /> mining land use, and are not poisonous or noxious. <br /> With TR32, SPL committed to notify the Division each year with the seed mixes they can <br /> obtain from vendors. If the mix does not match the approved seed mix, SPL will submit a <br /> minor revision to the Division for species approval prior to seeding. The complete seed mix <br /> used in each reclaimed area is also listed in the Annual Reclamation Report. <br /> Revegetation success criteria, monitoring plans and methods of comparison for testing <br /> revegetation success are addressed in Tab 22. Cover and production success for the major mine <br /> area vegetation communities are based on weighted average reference area comparisons as <br /> described in Tab 22. The revegetation success standards are in agreement with Rule 4.15.7(1). <br /> The cover standard for mine area reclamation and south extension area reclamation are based <br /> on comparing all hit reference area herbaceous cover to all hit reclaimed area total vegetation <br /> cover. <br /> Species diversity standards for the mine area, south extension area and tie across haul road <br /> rangeland reclamation were substantively revised and clarified in TR50. The basis and <br /> specifics of the diversity evaluation approach are described in Tab 22. Success demonstration <br /> requires that reclaimed areas meet one mandatory test (Test A; No single species > 60% <br /> relative cover), and at least two of three alternative tests based on species density (Test B; <br /> Total species density reference area comparison; Test C; Species abundance/life form <br /> reference area similarity index comparison; and Test D; Cumulative number of native <br /> species in reclaimed area density plots vs. average number of native species in reference area <br /> density plots). <br /> Various revegetation plan refinements resulted from approval of PR3 in May 2003. The <br /> procedures employed in the concentrated shrub establishment areas have been modified to <br /> enhance success, including use of elk fencing, use of initial supplemental irrigation, use of <br /> combined seedling transplanting and seeding with the native shrub/forb seed mix, and <br /> Page 30 of 37 <br />