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<br />flat areas. The steep slope areas will be broadcast seeded while flatter areas <br />will be drill seeded. Jute netting will be used to hold mulch in place on the <br />steep slopes. <br />Cover measurements on the reclaimed area will be taken along randomly <br />located transects. A point frame will be used to record 50 equally spaced <br />measurements per transect. A minimum of ten transects will be required. <br />Vegetation cover will be recorded by species. First and second hits on <br />vegetation will be used in the calculation of percent cover. Each separate <br />transect would be one sample, with the percent cover value for each sample <br />determined by totalling the first hits on vegetation and dividing by 50. Hits on <br />bare ground, rock and litter will be recorded separately. If sample adequacy is <br />not met with ten transects, additional transects will be located and measured <br />until adequacy is obtained. <br />Herbaceous production sampling will consist of clipping the herbaceous <br />vegetation in quarter meter plots located along the previously discussed <br />transects. Five plots will be clipped along each transect. A minimum of five <br />transects, the first five randomly selected transects, will be required. If sample <br />adequacy is not met with this minimum number, more randomly located <br />transects will be sampled until adequacy is met. <br />Measurements of woody plant density will consist of counting the number of <br />shrubs with 25 randomly located 1 m x 25m, belt transects. <br />Due to the fact that the area adjacent to the Bear No. 3 portal has been <br />previously disturbed, the success criteria of Rule 4.15.10 are applicable. <br />Specifically, the ground cover of living plants shall not be less than can be <br />supported by the best available topsoil and shall be sufficient to control erosion. <br />The more stringent requirements of Rule 4.15.8, which include meeting <br />standards for herbaceous production and species diversity, are applicable to <br />reclaimed areas at the Bear No. 1 and No. 2 Mines and areas of Bear No. 3 that <br />were not disturbed by previous mining operations. <br />Bear Coal Company has requested, pursuant to Rule 4.15.7121(dl(vil, that the <br />Division set the revegetation success standards for the Bear Mine for the <br />parameters of herbaceous cover and production, species diversity and woody <br />plant density based on local environmental conditions and available data for <br />similar sites. The standards are listed below. <br />1. Herbaceous Production: 1600 Ibs/acre <br />2. Herbaceous Cover: 40 percent <br />3. Species Diversity: The species diversity standard is based on species <br />composition (°,G relative cover). The reclaimed vegetation surface shall <br />include at least three herbaceous species with relative cover equal to or <br />greater than 3 percent, two of which are cool season grasses, and one <br />25 <br />