Laserfiche WebLink
Appendix 3-Y Phase II & III Bond Release Evaluation -Year 10 • <br />North Thompson Creek Mines <br />2000 & 2001 Revegetation Success Evaluation <br />1.0 INTRODUCTION <br />1.1 General <br />Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. (Cedar Creek) was contracted in 2000 and 2001 to implement Phase II <br />& Phase III vegetation evaluations within the revegetated portions of the North Thompson Creek Mine, <br />related facilities, and extended reference area, in the interest of ascertaining revegetation success in <br />general accordance with Rule 3.03, Release of Pertormance Bonds and Rules 4.15.7, 8, & 9, Determining <br />Revegetation Success. Revegetation evaluations generally followed procedures indicated within <br />approved permitting documents with certain modifications in compliance with Colorado Division of <br />Minerals and Geology (DMG) bond release guidelines (Guideline Regarding Selected Coal Mine Bond <br />Release Issues, April 18, 1995). Modifications primarily involved the use of the "reverse null-hypothesis" . <br />(bio-equivalence) testing procedure for reference area comparisons even though this procedure presents <br />a more rigorous benchmark for success. <br />Pursuant to agreements reached with DMG prior to or during a meeting on June 16, 2000, both the <br />revegetated area and extended reference area were each sampled as a single unit despite physical <br />separation of revegetated area components. These components included the 44.1 acre main mine <br />facilities area (including remote fan sites) as well as the 1.5 acre loadout corridor immediately west of the <br />Crystal River. Per agreement with DMG, the portion of the extended reference area subject to sampling <br />included only those areas of Mountain Shrubland -Dry Phase that were not largely barren or generally <br />steep and inaccessible. All areas subject to sampling are exhibited on Maps 1 and 2. <br />Field sampling for the directly measurable variables of ground cover and current annual production, <br />as well as the indirect determination of species diversity (composition) was systematically conducted on <br />July 18 and 19, 2000 and July 27 and 28, 2001. In addition, current conditions notable at the time of <br />sampling were documented through qualitative observations, and by several photos providing a visual <br />demonstration of site-specific conditions. Sampling was conducted by Cedar Creek's senior Range <br />Ecologist, Mr. Steven R. Viert, with assistance from Mr. Erik M. Mohr (Cedar Creek Plant Ecologist), Mr. • <br />Rick Klein, and Mr. Tim Mannschrek. <br />~~~ ~~~ ~.^,aa7caa:~s, [nc Page 1 North Thompson Creek Mines Phase tl 8 Itl 6arM Release Evaluation <br />