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amendments was obtained by Trapper from the DMG prior to initiating field sampling and approved by the Division for use at the Trapper Mine for this sampling effort. In this evaluation, the vegetation parameters of production, plant cover, species diversity and shrub density were sampled. These data were then utilized to evaluate the successfulness of revegetation efforts with respect to cover, forage production, species diversity, and shrub density. Transact Locations. To ensure that all of the areas within the two Rangeland Reclamation Blocks, Cropland Reclamation Block and Cropland Reference areas evaluated had an equal chance of being sampled, each reclamation block was treated as a single sample unit and a totally randomized sampling effort was implemented. Utilizing the reclamation maps prepared by Trapper and our GPS unit, the extreme north, south, east and west boundaries of each site sampled were identified according to the 192'7 Colorado State Plan Northam Zone (NAD 2~ coordinate system. The interval used in the state plan coordinate system is based on foot increments. Given the typical real-time accuracy of this GPS unit of plus or minus 18 inches, all of the transact locations were field located at a sub-meter accuracy. Once the boundaries of the reclaimed area were identified, then using a specially prepared computer program which generates random coordinates, the potential transact location points were identified. These coordinates were then entered into the GPS unit and the transact location starting points were marked in the field. At each transact location starting point, the transact direction was determined by selecting a random direction based on the degrees of the compass (1 to 360.Once the orientation of the transact was determined, then the 50-meter tape was laid • out across the site. All transacts were kept within the reclaimed sample unit boundaries. In situations where the transact pLu:ement resulted in the transact alignment crossing a sample unit boundary, the transact line was backed up for that portion of the transact which crossed the boundary line 180 degrees. Where the 50.meter tape could not be placed within a narrow reclaimed area due to boundary constraints, then the transact line was changed 90 degrees at the point where the boundary line was crossed w ensure that the entire transact alignment was within the area to be sampled. Plant Cover. PLurt cover was evaluated by sampling along an outstretched 50-meter transact tape. Along the outstretched tape, a total often previously identified and randomly selected intervals were selected as the sample locations for sampling. These ten points were then used as the sample locations for collecting plant cover. At each designated sample point, as inclined metal ten-point frame, one meter in height was positioned perpendicular to the tape and a sharpened metal rod was dropped. Each sampling point was sampled at ten-centimeter intervals along the ten-point frame. Even numbers where sampled on the right hand side of the tape and odd numbers were sampled on the left hand side of the tape. Each observation was recorded as to the specific plant species encountered as the rod was dropped. If no plant cover was encountered, then the observation was recorded as to the presence of plant litter, rock, or bare ground. Plant material produced in the 2005 growing season which was still attached to the plant was considered as living plant material and all plant material produced prior to the current growing season or which had fallen to the ground was considered • to be litter. The 100 data points collected along each transact were then summarized into a single