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<br />-16- <br /> <br />optimal and suboptimal forage production. Proper forage utilization will be <br />accomplished through herding, fencing, watering facilities, and location of <br />forage supplements (V. 3, 816-154). <br />816.116 Revegetation: Standards for Success <br />Determination of a success standard will begin by establishing permanent <br />reference areas for each range site that will be disturbed by mining. <br />Statistical comparisons of ground cover and production will be used in the <br />selection of the permanent reference areas, as well as soils, slope, aspect <br />and general appearance (V. 3, pp. 816-156). Reference areas will be located <br />in Section 24, Township 4 North, Range 87 West and contain approximately 2 1/2 <br />to 3 acres. The exact location will be marked with steel posts placed at each <br />of the four corners. Luring mining operations and throughout the liability <br />period, reference areas will be subjected to the same land management. <br />practices as encountered on adjacent undisturbed areas (V. 3, pp. 816-157). <br />By September 30, 1980, a relationship between the range sites (which will be <br />disturbed by mining) and their corresponding reference areas (which will no[ <br />be disturbed by mining) will be established (V. 3, pp. 816-157a). <br />Relationships will.be established using the statistical "t" test. Field <br />sampling will meet the standards identified on page 816-157(b) using a "size <br />adequacy formula" from BI.M manual 4412 Physical Resource Studies, August 10, <br />1979. The applicant has provided detailed descriptions of other statistical <br />formulas that are proposed to be used for establishment of permanent reference <br />areas (V. 3, pp. 816-158). <br />Total ground cover and productivity of living plants on revegetated areas will <br />be at least 90 percent of the success standard (V. 3, pp. 816-160). <br />Revegetation areas will be monitored during the period of liability at an <br />interval no[ to exceed three years, evaluating soil and vegetation conditions <br />(V. 3, pp. 816-161(a)). Revegetation areas will be measured utilizing the <br />same method used in the 1979 data collection (V. 3, pp. 779-107). <br />Success in re vegetating cropland will be determined using similar procedures <br />as those used for natural areas. A reference area of approximately three <br />acres will be established on an unaffected cropland site which is <br />representative of the mined cropland. The reference area will be planted to <br />the same crop which will be used on the revegetated cropland and cropping <br />performed to simulate postmining cropping practices. Cover and production <br />data will be taken simultaneously on both the reference area and the <br />revegetated mined area and a simple comparison made. A success standard of 90 <br />percent of the cover and productivity of the reference area will establish <br />revegetation success in the last two years of the 10-year period of vegetation <br />liability. Sampling for both areas will meet a minimum of 90 percent <br />statistical confidence (V. 3, pp. 816-160). <br />The method for measuring success for re vegetating pastureland has not been <br />addressed by the applicant. <br />