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-20- <br />The operation is in compliance with the requirements of this section. <br />XII. Vegetation -_Rules 2.04.10, 2.05.4(2)(e) and 4.15 <br />In reviewing the vegetation sampling of pre-mine and reference areas (Section <br />2.04.10 of Volume I, Appendix G in Volume III, and Appendix Af in Volume V), it <br />was determined that H-G had undersampled several of the parameters for vegata- <br />tive communities at the mine site. P.eanalysis of the data by statisticians from <br />Morrison-Knudsen and the staff of the Division determined that resampling was <br />necessary for several parameters and communities in order to adequately repre- <br />sent the pre-mining vegetative communities and those reference areas which are <br />to represent the pre-mining vegetative environment. <br />H-G Coal Company has resampled vegetation at the mine and submitted results <br />to the Division. These new data satisfy the vegetative concerns relative to <br />sample adequacy and comparability of baseline vegetative communities and re- <br />ference areas. The reference areas proposed by H-G Coal Company are, therefore, <br />accepted as the reclamation standard for determining the sources of revegetation <br />as criteria for bond release upon completion of mining and reclamation at the <br />Hayden Gulch mine. <br />H-G Coal Company has requested a variance from reestablishment of pre-mine <br />woody plant densities. Adequate baseline information has been supplied which <br />characterizes the pre-mine communities. H-G Coal Company is currently consulting <br />with the Soil Conservation Service (USDA), Colorado Division of Wildlife, Alined <br />Land Reclamation Division and .other interested parties to determine a suitable <br />plan for the establishment of beneficial shrub covers. To satisfy the requirements <br />of the Rules and .Regulations with respect to shrub density standards, the <br />following stipulation is required: <br />STIPULATION N0. 1 <br />WITHIN ONE YEAR OF PERMIT ISSUANCE, H-G COAL COMPANY AN ST PROPOSE TO THE <br />DIVISION AN ACCEPTABLE STANDARD, BASED ON THE RESULTS OF THE SITE-SPECIFIC <br />STUDY AND OTHER AVAILABLE DATA, FOR THE DETERMINATION OF RECL~~tATION <br />SUCCESS OF [WOODY PLANT DENSITY ON THE HAYDEN GULCH SITE. <br />The applicant supplied estimates of the species diversity of pre-mining vegetation <br />using the Shannon-[diener index. No standard was proposed, however, for the <br />assessment of species diversity of the reclaimed mine. The following stipulation <br />is required: <br />STIPULATION N0. 2 <br />H-G COAL COMPAtdY AND THE DIVISI01] !:'ILL DETERAffNE A MEANS FOR THE EVALUATION <br />OF SPECIES DIVERSITY AT THE HAY DEN GULCH AIINF. AND LOADOUT SITE BY MARCH 31, <br />1982. <br />Pursuant to Rule 2.07.6(2)(n) and on the basis of available information, this <br />Division finds that the proposed operation will not affect the continued exis- <br />tence of threatened or endangered species. <br />