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Species Diversity= A minimum 4 perennial cool season grasses, each contributing > 3% relative cover. A total of all <br />perennial non -noxious forb species contribute >5% relative cover. No single species may contribute >50% rel. cover <br />and no 4 species may contribute > 80% relative cover. <br />In 2020 and 2021 Allowable cover data was sampled to adequacy. Twenty (20) transects were collected for cover <br />data. The Bond Release Block was successful for Allowable Cover for both 2020 and 2021. 2020 allowable Cover = <br />84.6% cover, 2021 Allowable Cover = 91.4% cover. <br />In 2020 and 2021 herbaceous production data did not achieve sample adequacy. However, the operator collected a <br />minimum of 30 production samples for each year, which allows for reclamation success comparison using the reverse <br />null calculation. This is an acceptable approach. The Bond Release Block was successful for plant Production for both <br />2020 and 2021. 2020 Production= 101.4 g/0.25 MZ, 2021 Production= 85.1 g/0.25 MZ. [Production Standard= 15.6 <br />g/0.25 Mz] <br />Woody plant density (WPD) standard requires establishment of 550 woody stems per acre. Attaining 90% of the <br />standard, or 495 stems per acre is adequate for this standard to be successful. Due to the heterogeneous distribution <br />of woody stems (shrubs) throughout the BRB, sample adequacy was not achieved for either the 2020 or 2021 <br />sampling events for woody plant density. The operator collected 30 woody stem quadrats (100 MZ) in 2020 and <br />2021. Collection of a minimum of 30 samples (quadrats) allows the operator to calculate reclamation success <br />comparison using the reverse null calculation as per Rule 4.15.11(2)(c). This is an acceptable approach. Woody plant <br />density results for 2020 counted 2554 woody stems per acre. Woody plant density results for 2021 counted 3045 <br />woody stems per acre. Woody plant species that made up the majority of the sampled woody species included Big <br />Sagebrush, Rubber rabbitbrush, Silver sagebrush, and Antelope bitterbrush. The Division finds that woody plant <br />density establishment for the SL23 Bond Release Block was successful for 2020 and 2021. <br />Species diversity: The results from the 2020 sampling found 6 perennial cool season grass species that contributed <br />greater than 3% relative cover. No one species exceeded the 50% relative cover limit. The four dominant grass <br />species accounted for 42.93% relative cover. Two (2) perennial non -noxious forb species contributed greater than 3% <br />relative cover each. The total of all the perennial non -noxious forb species was 15.10% relative cover. The species <br />diversity standards were successful for 2020. <br />The results from the 2021 sampling found seven (7) perennial cool season grass species that contributed greater than <br />3% relative cover. No one species exceeded the 50% relative cover limit. The four dominant grass species accounted <br />for 45.24% relative cover. One (1) perennial non -noxious forb species contributed greater than 3% relative cover. <br />The total of all the perennial non -noxious forb species was 16.9% relative cover. The species diversity standards were <br />successful for 2021. <br />The Division finds, based upon the submitted SL23 application, 2020 and 2021 vegetation reports, that the operator <br />has met all vegetation success standards for SL23 Bond Release Block. <br />