2024-05-03_PERMIT FILE - C1980007 (2)

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2.05-65 Rev. 11/96- PR07; 10/20 TR148 Shrub Species Stems/Acre Streambank Willow 250 Narrowleaf Cottonwood 200 River Birch 250 Hawthorn 50 Wood's Rose 250 ----- 1000 Grass and forbs species will be hand broadcast at twice the above rate and shrubs and trees will be hand planted from container or cutting stock. Success of this riparian buffer zone revegetation effort will be measured against the Wildlife Shrub Cluster success criteria noted in Table 41 using the same sampling methods noted. Evaluation of Reclamation Success Reclaimed Area Revegetation Success During the initial permitting of the West Elk Mine in 1980 and 1981, revegetation success was proposed to be based on two reference areas established in Sylvester Gulch. Since two vegetation communities were initially disturbed during the construction of surface facilities at the West Elk Mine, a dry meadow reference area and an oakbrush reference area were established. The reference areas were to be used for evaluation of total vegetation cover and herbaceous production during revegetation evaluations for bond and liability release. Total vegetation cover and total herbaceous production from the reference areas were to be compared with like mean parameter values from the reclaimed and revegetated areas. Subsequent to the initial permitting of the mine, evaluation of the reference area concept occurred in the regulatory, mining, and academic communities. Concerns arose with the long-term management and maintenance of reference areas, as well as their comparability to the expected (and observed) post-mining vegetation communities. Several options for development of revegetation success criteria existed in addition to reference areas, but technical standard and historic record approaches had not been pursued by industry or regulatory authorities, and involved unspecified commitments to data acquisition. In 1995, the West Elk Mine began planning for expansion of the mine facilities, including a second refuse pile and ventilation and coal storage facilities. As a result of these projects, additional vegetation communities would be disturbed at the mine. Location, establishment, and maintenance of reference areas for each vegetation community disturbed or affected was no longer a viable option for determining revegetation success criteria. An evaluation of technical standard and historic record approaches to establishing vegetation success criteria for total vegetation cover and herbaceous production was undertaken.