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3.0 RESULTS <br /> 3.1 QUANTITATIVE EVALUATION: RECLAIMED AREAS <br /> The 2022 Reclamation Areas sampled contain 9.25 acres with 26 distinct drill hole and road <br /> segment features located on the West Bench, within Sylvester Gulch, beside the Shaft <br /> Canyon Road, and along the Saddle Road within the West Elk Mine permit area. The <br /> reclaimed sites range from 0.1 to 1.6 acres in size and ranged in age from 14 to 18 years. <br /> The location, size, and age of the reclaimed sites are presented in the West Elk Mine Phase <br /> III (2"d Year) Eligible Areas: 2022 table above. Specific vegetation information for the <br /> reclamation area is contained in Tables 1, 2, and 3. <br /> 3.1.1 Total Vegetation Cover <br /> Total mean vegetation cover of the reclaimed areas was 67.47 percent. Graminoids provided <br /> 50.27 percent mean vegetation cover (74.51% relative cover), forbs accounted for 14.13 <br /> percent mean vegetation cover (20.95% relative cover), and four woody species contributed <br /> 3.07 percent mean vegetation cover(4.55%relative cover). <br /> The most frequently encountered species was Agropyron smithii (western wheatgrass), <br /> present in 100 percent of the 15 transects sampled for vegetation cover. Agropyron <br /> trachycaulum (slender wheatgrass) was encountered in 60 percent of all transects. <br /> Agropyron dasystachyum (thickspike wheatgrass) and Festuca arizonica (Arizona fescue) <br /> were each present in 53 percent of transects. All other species were encountered in fewer <br /> than fifty percent of the vegetation cover transects. <br /> Within the reclaimed areas, the perennial cool season native grass Agropyron smithii was the <br /> dominant species, contributing 24.27 percent total mean vegetation cover, and 35.97 percent <br /> relative vegetation cover. <br /> Festuca arizonica contributed the second highest vegetation cover, with 6.40 percent total <br /> mean vegetation cover and 9.49 percent relative cover. Bromus marginatus (mountain <br /> brome) accounted for 5.73 percent total vegetation cover and 8.50 percent relative vegetation <br /> cover. Agropyron trachycaulum provided 5.33 percent total vegetation cover and 7.91 <br /> percent relative cover, while Agropyron dasystachyum contributed 4.00 percent total cover <br /> (5.93% relative cover). Aster glaucodes (aster) accounted for 2.53 percent total vegetation <br /> cover and 3.75 percent relative vegetation cover. No other species contributed more than <br /> three percent relative cover in this year's sampling. <br /> Vegetative litter (prior year's growth, dead wood, and other biologic organic material) <br /> comprised 23.47 percent ground cover overall within the reclamation areas. Bare soil <br /> comprised 8.40 percent of the ground cover. Rock accounted for 0.67 percent of the ground <br /> cover sampled. Cryptogams were not encountered during this year's sampling. <br /> 3.1.2 Total Herbaceous Production <br /> Mean total herbaceous production within the 2022 Reclamation areas in 2022 was 227.67 <br /> g/m2 (2029 lb/ac). <br /> Mountain Coal Company,LLC West Elk Mine Page 7 <br /> 2022 Vegetation Report:West Bench,Sylvester Gulch,Shaft Canyon Road,and Saddle Road Reclamation Areas <br />