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-75- XII. Vegetation (con't) 1. Herbaceous Production .............................1600 lbs/acre 2. Herbaceous Cover ..................................40% 3. Species Diversity The species diversity standard is based on species composition (a relative cover). The reclaimed vegetation surface shall include at least three herbaceous species with relative cover equal to or greater than 3%, two of which are coal season grasses, and one forb. The combined relative cover of these species should not exceed 800, and no one species should comprise greater than 600. 4. Woody Plant Density Bear Coal Company will be required to establish a minimum of 25 woody plants per acre on reclaimed areas at the Bear No. 1 and No. 2. The plants to be counted in evaluating revegetation success will be Zimited to willow, hawthorne, and other riparian species planted in clumps in disturbed areas immediately adjacent to the river. The permittee will not be required to reestablish a specific shrub density on the remainder of the reclaimed area at the Bear No. 1 and No. 2, or at the Bear No. 3. The fact that the total surface disturbance at the Bear mine is Less than 30 acres and is adjacent to the highway minimizes the importance of the area to wildlife. Furthermore, since the Bear No. 3 surface disturbance area is contained within an area previously disturbed by mining, the success criteria of 4.15.10 apply. The permittee is not obligated to meet a standard for woody plant density. The most critical objective of reclamation at the site is to stabilize the surface, which can best be achieved through the establishment of a predomin- ately herbaceous community, including both quick growing and long-lived perennial species. Certain shrub species will be included in the broad- cast seed mixture, and cottonwood, willow, and hawthorne will be trans- planted in riparian areas along the banks of the North Fork. The data which the standards were based on was collected by ARCO in the dry meadow vegetation type located approximately I/2 mile south of the Bear No. 1 and No. 2 portals. The type occurs primarily on the top of the relatively level terraces to the south of the river. The meadow type was created by clearing of the wet mixed shrub type for grazing. The dry meadow data represented the most applicable available data for the disturbed areas at the Bear mine, considering environmental conditions and the revegetation plan. SCS production estimates for the Mountain Swale range site, which corresponds to the Breece Loam soil type along the North Fork, range from 1500 pounds to 2000 pounds per acre. Potential vegetation is primarily cool season perennial grasses. On the basis of availabl@ information, and due to the fact that Bear Coal Company will not be disturbing any previously undisturbed areas, the Division finds that the proposed operation will not effect the continued existence of any threatened or endangered species,