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• 1.2 Documentation of Successful Cropland Establishment <br />Trapper Mine reclaimed croplands in Ashmore, B~owning and Colt pits, as outlihed on-Map 1, were <br />sampled during 2001 to determine the success of cropland establishment. Crop production was the <br />parameter sampled. The purpose of the sampling was to evaluate the readirn:ss of reclaimed blocks for <br />Phase II bond release. <br />1.2.1 Methods <br />Cropland clip plot transects were randomly located on two cropland blocks and a reference area for <br />evaluation of Phase II bond release during 2001, as outlined on Map 1. Transect starting points were field <br />located using a G.P.S. satellite survey system in combination with large-scale topographic maps. Tran- <br />sects were 50 meters in length and run in a random direction from the starting point. All transects were <br />kept within reclaimed block or reference area boundaries. If the randomly selected transect direction <br />resulted in the possibility of the transect line crossing a boundary, the transect line was turned 180 <br />degrees to avoid crossing the boundary. <br />Three 0.5m2 clip plots were randomly located along each transect. Annual plant production was clipped <br />and separated into forb and grass life forms in each clip plot and placed in paper bags. Bags containing <br />clipped material were oven-dried at 30 degrees C for 48 hours and weighed to the nearest 0.1 g (with bag <br />weight subtracted out). Weights from the three clip plots were averaged to obtain a single production <br />value for each transect. <br />Reclaimed cropland blocks consisted of a logical grouping of reclaimed parcels lumped together for bond <br />release evaluation purposes. For this application, the two blocks were separrted on the basis of age of <br />reclamation. Block CR 82-92 will be sampled again during the summer of 2002 for Phase III bond release <br />purposes, while block CR 93-94 will not be included in the Phase III package because reclaimed parcels <br />within the block will not have completed the ten-year liability period by 2002. Sample adequacy (i.e. <br />number of transects required) was determined by block for Phase II bond release criteria using equations <br />specified by the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG). <br />1.2.2 Results and Discussion <br />Cropland production, as determined by randomly located clip plot transects, i:; summarized by reclaimed <br />block and compared against a reference area standard in Table 1.2-1. Table 1.2-1 indicates that the <br />Phase II production standard was achieved for both sampled blocks. <br />• Table 1.2-2 breaks out sampling results for individual transects at a plant life form production level. <br />2 <br />