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Creek. The site is presently designated on page 2.05-31 as "riparian" and has a separate seed mix and separate success standards from the rest of the mine. LHC was visited on July 31 in conjunction with Mr. Dan Mathews of DMG to determine whether this riparian designation was justified. During the inspection, it was clear that the riparian designation was a poor fit. The site is largely west-facing, with part of it being moderately sloped. The flatter areas adjacent to Hubbard Creek are generally 4-5 feet above the level of the creek. Since the creek is fairly well cut at this point and does not meander or broaden as it does farther upstream, for example, the base of the Blue Ribbon Mine slope, the associated riparian vegetative zone is much smaller. Revegetation at the Lower Hubbard Creek and the Bear Creek areas face similaz challenges -sloped soil surfaces that are dry and west-facing. Both sites also have small disturbed areas i.e. three acres or less per site. Additionally, it is emphasized that the site was disturbed at the time that the original baseline study was carried out. The line designating LHC as part JW and part MS was based on conjecture and was not based on actual observation of natural vegetation. In light of how similar LHC is to the Bear Creek site, it is proposed that LHC be designated the same - as all JW. 5. Adding a species diversity standazd. Page H-9 indicates that species diversity success will be based on a comparison of the species diversity index values calculated for the reclaimed and the reference areas. The following standard, which is similar to that proposed for the Bowie # 2 mine and that attached to the permit as a stipulation in the 1983 Findings Document, is proposed. "Of the perennial species present in the reclaimed areas, at least four will have a relative cover between 3 and 60%. Of these four species, at least one will be a forb or shrub, and applicable perennial grasses will be cool-season species." Smaller areas can generally be expected to have lower habitat, and therefore species, diversity. To account for this, the standard will be adjusted to accommodate years when individual bond release requests are made on land units less than 10 acres. For instance, should Sanborn Creek still be in operation and bond release be requested on Lower Hubbard Creek and Bear Creek in 2006, it could be difficult to get release with respect to species diversity simply due to the low acreage involved rather than to the effectiveness of the reclamation. Therefore, in cases such as this, where bond release is sought on land units summing to less than 10 acres, the following standard will apply: Page 4