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Section 780.23 (a) Continued. <br />• <br />grazing management plan will occur as soon as the revegetated plants are <br />established to the point that they will support grazing. <br />Pursuant to the February 26, 1980 decision of the United States District <br />Court for the District of Columbia, In re Pernianent b~rface Mining Regulation <br />Liticration, Kerr Coal is not required to actually graze affected lands <br />proposed to be returned to rangeland land use. Havever, in order to <br />demonstrate that it has succeeded in establishing a permanent vegetative <br />cover in reclaimed areas capable of revegetation at least equal in extent of <br />cover to the natural vegetation of the area, Kerr Coal proposes to allow <br />limited grazing within reclaimed areas at such time as the revegetated stands <br />have been sufficiently established to support such grazing. In this regard, <br />as revegetation is reestablished, Kerr Coal will consult with the BIM <br />concerning the management of the permit area to assure that grazing permitted <br />on reclaimed lands is consistent with sound grazing management. It is <br />anticipated that the data collected by Kerr Coal through both revegetation <br />success monitoring and the selective grazing of reclaimed lands will assist <br />Kerr Coal in establishing reasonable grazing stocking rates. <br />Once the period of allowable grazing for both the Kerr Mine and Tipple areas <br />has started, the productivity data collected under 30 CFR 816.116 will be <br />utilized to determine proper stocking rates. Stocking rates will be <br />calculated using the conservative estimate that 1,000 pounds of air dry <br />forage is equivalent to one AIJM. Based on current stocking rates for <br />undisturbed lands, postmin'ng stocking rates are expected to average <br />approximately 10 acres per AUM initially, increasing over time as the <br />reclaimed plant camnuiity becanes better established to as high as 5 acres <br />per AIJM. Prior to bond release, all grazing related activities will be <br />cronducted according to the U.S. Department of Agriculture, Soil Conservation <br />Service (1976) National <br />H:\857\VOL.2\780REV. PGS <br />os/oi/95 1:17pm wPSi/cmc 780-131 Revised -April 1996 <br />~~ ~3 <br />