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Based on the results of the 2019 and 2022 quantitative sampling, the reclamation areas <br /> exceeded the revegetation total live vegetation cover success criterion of 53.04 percent, <br /> thereby meeting the revegetation success criterion and supporting the post-mining land use. <br /> Phase III Bond Release Reclaimed and Revegetated Areas Reclamation Success: <br /> Total Herbaceous Production (2019 and 2022) <br /> Demonstration of herbaceous production revegetation success at the West Elk Mine for <br /> Phase III bond release requires that the total herbaceous production at the eligible reclaimed <br /> areas meets or exceeds the value of the total herbaceous production success criterion of <br /> 180.38 g/m2. The table below compares the vegetation cover values from the 2019 and <br /> 2022 sampling. <br /> Reclamation Success: 2019 and 2022 Total Herbaceous Production Results <br /> 2019 Reclaimed 2022 Reclaimed <br /> Areas Areas <br /> Xbar 217.13 g/m2 227.67 g/m2 <br /> S 42.43 g/m2 60.60 g/m2 <br /> Number of samples 22 19 <br /> Number of samples for sample adequacy 7 13 <br /> Based on the results of the quantitative sampling, the reclamation areas exceeded the <br /> revegetation total herbaceous success criteria of 180.38 g/m2 percent, thereby meeting the <br /> revegetation success criteria and supporting the post-mining land use. <br /> Phase III Bond Release Reclaimed and Revegetated Areas Reclamation Success: <br /> Species Composition (2019 and 2022) <br /> The West Elk Mine permit document specifies that to meet the requirements of the <br /> revegetation success criterion for species composition, species composition on any <br /> applicable reclaimed areas will be successful when there are at least three perennial species <br /> of which two are cool season perennial grasses and one is a cool season perennial forb with <br /> no one component of the above three species comprising greater than 40% relative cover <br /> nor less than 3%relative cover. In 2019 the reclaimed areas exceeded the success criterion <br /> with four perennial cool season graminoids,four cool season forbs,and one woody species. <br /> The 2022 reclaimed areas exceeded the species composition requirement with five <br /> perennial cool season graminoids and one perennial cool season forb. <br /> Mountain Coal Company West Elk Mine Page 4 <br /> 2022 Phase III Bond Release Request Synopsis (SL-17) <br />