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RESPONSE <br />Individual fencing of reference areas is not required since the <br />' entire permit area is fenced, and a buffer zone is not necessary. <br />4.15.7(3)(f) During at least the last two full years of the extended <br />liability period, the reference area(s) and revegetated area(s) shall receive <br />the same management. <br />RESPONSE <br />H G Coal Company will manage both the reference areas and <br />revegetated areas in the same manner during at least the last <br />two full years of extended liability. The recently completed <br />fence makes this easily possible. <br />4.15.7(4) Two primary methods by which reference areas may be utilized, <br />upon approval of the Division, to determine revegetation success are: <br />(a) Comparison of an individual reference area representative of a <br />certain plant community which existed on the premining surface with the <br />corresponding plant community planted on the revegetated surface. <br />(b) Comparison of weighted averages between reference areas and <br />revegetated areas. In such a weighting technique, a single comparison <br />• would be made between all reference areas and the entire revegetated area <br />and would be based on the relative area occupied by each plant community <br />on the premining surface. <br />RESPONSE <br />HG Coal Company plans to measure revegetation success by _ <br />option (b) which compares weighted averages between reference <br />areas and revegetated areas. <br />4.15.8 Revegetation Success Criteria <br />(1) This subsection defines the success criteria which must be met for <br />the postmining vegetation to be judged adequate for final bond release. <br />Exceptions to the requirements of 4.15.8 may be granted only under the <br />following conditions: <br />(a) If the approved postmining land use is cropland, the require- <br />ments of 4.15.9 shall apply; or <br />(b) In the case of previously mined lands or areas to be developed <br />for industrial or residential use, the requirements of 4.15.10 shall apply. <br />RESPONSE <br />• Neither (a) nor (b) apply. <br />