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Topsoil Replacement <br /> The success in terms of re-vegetation of the West Mine area(see discussion below) suggests that the <br /> replacement of topsoil was sufficient. <br /> Revegetation <br /> The West Mine area was seeded with the permanent seed mix in 2002. Data collected on the reclaimed <br /> area in 2019 and 2021 demonstrate that the reclaimed vegetation community met the reclamation <br /> success standards for both years. The following details of the Division's assessment are based on the <br /> criteria listed in Section II above. <br /> The standard for total plant cover is 60 percent, and achieving 90 percent of the standard, or 54 percent, <br /> is considered acceptable. Total plant cover measured in 2019 was 61.1 percent. Total plant cover in <br /> 2021 measured 55.3 percent. Total plant cover for the sample data exceeded the standard both years of <br /> sampling. <br /> Annual herbaceous production is considered successful if the data illustrate results greater than or equal <br /> to 450 pounds of herbaceous biomass per acre(herbaceous production must meet 90% of the standard, <br /> or 405 lbs/ac). Herbaceous production measured 942 pounds per acre in 2019, and 549 pounds per acre <br /> in 2021. Herbaceous productivity for both years of sampling easily exceeded the required standard and <br /> is considered successful. <br /> Woody plant density for the reclaimed area includes live trees,shrub species, and sub-shrub species. <br /> The woody plant density standard is 100 stems or more per acre. The standard must be met at a 90 <br /> percent level, so a minimum of 90 stems per acre is considered successful. Due to typical non-normal <br /> distribution of the woody stems throughout the reclaimed area,the operator was unable to meet sample <br /> adequacy or sample a minimum of 75 sample transects for woody plant sampling in 2019. As permitted <br /> by Rule 4.15.11(3)the operator used the sample median to determine woody plant density success. The <br /> operator measured 91 stems per acre on the reclaimed area in 2019 using the reverse null calculation and <br /> determining the median"ranked L test." This calculation is acceptable and the woody plant density <br /> requirement has been met for 2019. The 2021 sampling for woody plant density exceeded 75 transects <br /> (the operator collected 78 woody plant density transects). The 2021 sampling measured 355 woody <br /> stems per acre on the reclaimed area. The data exceeded the woody plant standard for 2021,and is <br /> considered successful. <br /> Four criteria need to be met for species diversity. First,the reclaimed vegetative community requires <br /> greater than or equal to five perennial non-noxious plant species to be established. Each of the five <br /> species must comprise at least 0.5 percent relative cover,yet no more than 60 percent relative cover. <br /> The list of five or more species may include either native or introduced species. The data for both 2019 <br /> and 2021 demonstrate that the reclaimed community met this criterion. Ten species met this standard in <br /> 2019,and nine species met this standard in 2021. The second criterion requires that a minimum of three <br /> native cool-season perennial grasses be established within the reclaimed community. Each of the three <br /> species must contribute a minimum of 0.5 percent relative cover,yet no greater than 60 percent relative <br /> cover. Four grass species met this requirement in 2019,and four grass species met the standard in 2021. <br /> Pennit Number C-1981-038 Page 8 of 12 <br />