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VIII. Backflling and Grading <br />Information pertaining to backfilling and grading of disturbed areas is presented in <br />Section 2.05.4 of the permit application. The "Mine Surface" Map C-4 and Map No. <br />C-7 entitled "Reclamation Map" depict existing and proposed post-mining contours. <br />At the end of the mine's life, National King Coal proposes to backtill the disturbed bench <br />areas to a stable configuration which blends with the surrounding topography. Based <br />upon information provided by National King Coal, no pre-mining contour maps of the <br />azea exist due to the length of time the mine has been in operation (+50 years). The <br />proposed backfilling scheme involves reducing all mine bench highwalls and bench <br />outslope crest to approximately 1.5 h:lv and in most areas to 2.Sh :lv or less to blend <br />in with surrounding areas. <br />IX. Revegetation <br />A. Information pertaining to baseline vegetation and revegetation is presented in Section <br />2.04.10 and in Section 2.05.4, respectively. <br />No pre-mining vegetation inventory was performed since the site was disturbed in <br />1941 prior to any requirements for such surveys . In lieu of this, Nation King Coal <br />provided a description of adjacent areas with vegetation types similar to what is <br />believed to have been disturbed. Three vegetation communities were identified: <br />mountain shrub, pinon-juniper and introduced pasture. The introduced pasture was <br />disturbed by the combination haul/access road; whereas, the mountain shrub and <br />pinon-juniper communities were disturbed by the surface facilities area. <br />During the review of the adjacent areas, no known threatened or endangered plant <br />species were identited. Since there are no more areas planned to be disturbed and <br />no known threatened or endangered plant species were identified, the Division finds, <br />pursuant to Rule 2.07.6(2)(n), that the activities will not affect the continued <br />existence of endangered or threatened species or result in the deswction or adverse <br />modification of their critical habitat. <br />The Division and National King Coal have determined the species diversity criteria <br />for cover, production and shrub density, and modifies the criteria for species <br />diversity as addressed below: <br />1. Cover -the standard for herbaceous cover is 30 percent and will be measured <br />using apoint-intercept method. <br />2. Production -The standard tar herbaceous productivity is 500 pounds per acre <br />of dry biomass measured by the harvest method using a minimum ~/z MZ <br />quadrate. <br />21 <br />