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The standard of zero (0) is still recommended for the variable of woody plant density given the <br />paucity of grassland habitats in the vicinity of mine disturbances and the relatively small acreages <br />involved. Assuming that revegetation of this new disturbance area occurs in a manner similar to other <br />reclamation efforts in the general area, such success standards should be reasonably achievable. <br />With regard to diversity, the current standard for other Bowie mine area disturbances should be <br />reasonably achievable and therefore, applicable to the new WRDA. In effect, this standard requires post- <br />mining revegetation to exhibit 4 perennial species with between 3% and 47% relative cover, and at least <br />one of these must be a perennial forb or shrub. This standard is deemed reasonably achievable as it is <br />very similar to the standard utilized at the Tomahawk Mine that resulted in Phase III release in 2001. <br />Furthermore, the current seed mixes proposed for use at the mine appear sufficiently diverse to effect a <br />community that wilt pass such diversity testing following 10 years of growth and development. <br />In this regard, the following table presents proposed success criteria and technical standards to be <br />utilized in a weiohted evaluation protocol that complies with Colorado's "Guideline Regarding Selected <br />Coal Mine Bond Release Issues" (April 18, 1995). Procedures used to collect comparison data would be <br />similar to those used for this baseline evaluation (e.g., point-intercept along line-transects for ground <br />cover). At the time of this writing, the approved comparison technique involves the "reverse null <br />hypothesis testing procedure" as detailed in the April 18, 1995 guidelines. Such a procedure does not <br />require sampling efforts to achieve any specified level of adequacy, although it is in the operator's best <br />interest to collect a reasonably large sample to reduce variance. <br />Reference Area Comparisons and Technical Standards <br />Revegetated Ground Current Annual Woody Plant Diversity <br />Community Cover Production Density Standard <br />Entire WRDA 90% of weighted 90% of weighted No 3 Per. Grasses + <br />As a single unit JW & MS JW & MS Standard 1 Per. Forb or <br />Reference Area's Reference Area's Shrub between <br />Herbaceous Herbaceous 3% & 47% <br />Perennial Cover Perennial Production Relative Cover <br />i• <br />CEDAR CREEK ASSOCIATES, inc. Page 7.8 Exhibit 5 -Bowie WRDA Vegetation Survey <br />