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Resource Area in addition to cool season grasses and perennial forbs. The La Plata County Soil Stuvey also recognizes a warm season component present in the Loamy Foothills Range site description that these native communities cottespond with. The post-mining land use for the reclaimed areas that were mountain shrub and Pinyon/Juniper communities pre-mining is wildlife habitat. The Colorado Division of Wildlife identified the mine area as critical Mule deer and elk winter range. In light of these facts, the Division considers a warm season grass component on integral part of the reclamation success measure. Strict comparison of the reclamation vegetative community makeup to the pre-mining community is a bit erroneous since OEI even states that the reclaimed community will not be typical of the pre-mining community. Of primary note will be the drastic reduction in the tree and shrub component. In the pre-mining Mountain shrub community, 81% of the relative cover was attributed to shrub species, and 5.1% relative cover ascribed to tree species, at a density of 3725 woody stems per acre. In the pre-mine Pinyon/Juniper Woodland community 58% of the relative cover was contributed by tree species, and 20.6% relative cover by shrub species. OEI has indicated that the reclaimed community will be dominated by herbaceous vegetation instead of woody species as were present in the pre-mining wmmunities. Hence, the diversity of herbaceous lifefortns will be of greater importance. The Division will entertain a diversity standard consisting o£ 1 warm season perennial grass species 2 cool season perennial grass species 2 peremtial forb species each species contributing a minimum of 3% relative cover, but not greater than 40% relative cover. Woody stem density shall remain at 1000 stems per acre. (For perspective this is the equivalent of 1 shrub every 44 sq.ft.) **• Anew question came up during this review. The only reference area for the native vegetation type has been disturbed for the creation of a golf course. What does OEI propose to compaze the post-mining reclaimed vegetation to achieve vegetation success? This issue should be addressed in a sepazate technical revision. 12.a) The approved woody plant density standard for the non-agronomic reclaimed lands is 1000 stems per acre. This is not equivalent to what existed pre-mining considering that the pre-mining Woody Shrub community had a density of 3725 woody stems per acre. The Division encourages the placement of woody species in clumps. These clumps would be included in the overall woody plant density. Without additional justification or confirmation from the Colorado Division of Wildlife to alter the