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C. Methods to measwe herbaceous cover and production, species diversity, and woody <br />plant density are discussed in Section 4.4 of the permit application. These <br />techniques include reference azea compazisons. The Division previously approved <br />of these techniques (4.15.7(1)). <br />D. On topsoil replaced areas, comparison between distwbed areas and reference areas <br />in terms of cover and productivity will be used to demonstrate that the success <br />criteria of Rule 4.15.8 have been met. <br />An acceptable species diversity revegetation standard for topsoil redistribution areas <br />has been approved by the Division. The approved standard states that herbaceous <br />species diversity will require the presence of at least five perennial species, with <br />relative importance of each species equal to or greater than three percent, but less <br />than 40 percent. The combined relative importance of five herbaceous species will <br />not exceed 75 percent. if there aze six or more perennial, herbaceous species that <br />satisfy these relative importance requirements, then the maximum combined relative <br />importance standard will be waived. A numerical standard for cool and warm <br />season/forb species was not required, since a diverse permanent reclamation seed <br />mixtwe of perennial, predominately native plants, containing cool and warm season <br />grass species and forbs and woody species, was planted. For the two vegetation <br />communities within the affected Moffat Area, the Mountain Shrub community has <br />six (6) perennial, native species: three (3) cool-season grasses, one (1) grass-like, <br />and two (2) forbs. The sagebrush-snowberry community has seven (7) perennial, <br />native species: three (3)cool-season grasses and fow (4) forbs. Pittsbwg & Midway <br />will reestablishvegetation similazto the relative important species with regazd to life <br />form and seasonality rather than revegetatingthe area with species originally present. <br />Finally, Pittsbwg & Midway will establish at least two (2) shrub species in the <br />Moffat Area. The woody stem success standard has been determined to be 1,000 <br />stems per acre. <br />Information pertaining to development of revegetation success criteria for areas <br />without replaced topsoil were received from Pittsbwg & Midway on Mazch 24,1982. <br />To satisfy the requirements of Rule 4.15.10(1) pertaining to the revegetation success <br />criteria for previously mined areas, Pittsbwg & Midway collected cover data along <br />fifteen (15) transects. From these transects, a mean vegetative cover of 47 percent <br />was obtained. Therefore, the revegetation success criteria for areas without replaced <br />topsoil, pwsuant to Rule 4.15.10(1), is 47 percent vegetational cover. <br />The cover standazd for riparian areas is 55 percent cover. Riparian areas along Oak <br />Creek were distwbed prior to August 3, 1977. No topsoil was salvaged in these <br />areas, and so diversity will be evaluated accordingly. <br />The Division finds that the cover standards for non-topsoiled and riparian areas are <br />Edna Mine ?4 Permit Renexal No. 3 <br />