2021-12-09_REVISION - C1981010 (7)

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Contiguous areas of range site A and range site B seeded in the same year and receiving similar reclamation practices may be lumped together into one range site AB parcel. When the bond release blocks are comprised of both A and B range site areas,cover and production standards for range site A will be applied to the block relative to demonstrating reclamation success(Permit section 4.4.1.5). For SL23,the nine parcels comprised a mix of range site A and B, and therefore were aggregated to one rangeland AB bond release block. Cover and Species Composition The operator contracted with Osborn Industries,LLC to conduct the sampling. Vegetation sampling was conducted between 22 to 30 July 2020, and 14 to 17 July 2021. Sampling methodologies complied with Rule 4.15 and the Division's Bond Release Guidelines. Western Colorado experienced an extreme drought during the summer of 2021,but the reclaimed lands were resilient under the drought conditions. Sample transects were determined using random distribution within the entire Bond Release Block. This methodology is acceptable to the Division. Random sample distribution minimizes the potential for unintended biases,however,it is possible a sample point does not fall within each parcel. The Division observes the reclaimed areas throughout the year during regular inspections, and observes each parcel during the bond release inspection, so any areas of concern are noted at the time of inspections. The approved reclamation success standards comprise: 1. Allowable cover=52%. Of this, a minimum of 33%cover must comprise perennial plant cover, and litter may contribute no more than 19%. 2. Range Site AB Production=62.39 g/M2. Production includes clipped perennial grasses and perennial forbs. No annualibiennial grasses, forbs, shrubs, or noxious weed species are included in production. 3. Woody Plant Density=550 stems/acre. 4. Species Diversity= a minimum of four perennial cool season grasses, each contributing>3% relative cover. A total of all perennial,non-noxious forb species contribute>5%relative cover. No single species may contribute>50%relative cover and no 4 species may contribute> 80% relative cover. In 2020 and 2021 allowable cover data was sampled to adequacy. Twenty(20)transects were collected for cover data. The Bond Release Block was successful for allowable cover for both 2020 and 2021. 2020 allowable Cover= 84.6%cover,2021 Allowable Cover= 91.4%cover. In 2020 and 2021 herbaceous production data did not achieve sample adequacy. However,the operator collected a minimum of 30 production samples for each year,which allows for reclamation success comparison using the reverse null calculation. This is an acceptable approach. The Bond Release Block was successful for plant Production for both 2020 and 2021. 2020 Production= 101.4 g/0.25 M2, and 2021 Production= 85.1 g/0.25 M2. [Production Standard= 15.6 g/0.25 M2] Woody plant density(WPD), standard requires establishment of 550 woody stems per acre. Attaining 90% of the standard, or 495 stems per acre is adequate to consider success for this standard. Due to the heterogeneous distribution of woody stems (shrubs),throughout the BRB,sample adequacy was not achieved for either the 2020 or 2021 sampling events for woody plant density. The operator collected 30 woody stem quadrats (100 M2),in 2020 and 2021. Collection of a minimum of 30 samples (quadrats), Permit Number. C1981010 Page 11 of 16