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<br /> <br />VI. Revegetation <br />A. The Division proposes to approve the use of introduced species in <br />the reclamation seed mix. The applicant has submitted information <br />which shows that the introduced species are desirable and necessary <br />to achieve the approved post-mining land use, and are not poisonous <br />or noxious (4.15.2). <br />B. The Division proposes to approve the use of a cover crop as a means <br />to meet soil stabilization requirements (4.15.4). <br />C. Methods to measure herbaceous cover and production, species <br />diversity, and woody plant density are discussed in Section 4.4 of <br />the permit application. These techniques include reference area <br />comparisons. The Division proposes to approve of these techniques <br />(4.15.7(1)). <br />D. On topsoil replaced areas, comparison between disturbed areas and <br />reference areas in terms of cover and productivity will be used to <br />demonstrate that the success criteria of Rule 4.15.8 have been <br />met. <br />An acceptable species diversity revegetation standard for topsoil <br />redistribution areas was submitted to the Division on December 8, <br />1983. The approved standard states that herbaceous species <br />diversity will require the presence of at least five perennial <br />species, with relative importance of each species equal to or <br />greater than three percent, but less than 40 percent. The combined <br />relative importance of five herbaceous species will not exceed 75 <br />percent. If there are six or more perennial, herbaceous species <br />that satisfy these relative importance requirements, then the <br />maximum combined relative importance standard will be waived. A <br />numerical standard for cool and warm season/f orb species is not <br />required, since a diverse permanent reclamation seed mixture of <br />perennial, predominately native plants, containing cool and warm <br />season grass species and forbs and woody species, will be planted. <br />for the two vegetation communities within the affected Moffat Area, <br />the Mountain Shrub community has six (6> perennial, native <br />species: three (3) cool-season grasses, one (1) grass-like, and <br />two (2) forbs. The sagebrush-snowberry community has seven (7> <br />perennial, native species: three (3> cool-season grasses and four <br />(4) forbs. Pittsburg & Midway will reestablish vegetation similar <br />to the relative important species with regard to life form and <br />seasonality rather than revegetating the area with species <br />originally present. finally, Pittsburg & Midway will establish at <br />least two (2) shrub species in the Moffat Area. The woody stem <br />success standard has been determined to be 1,000 stems per acre. <br />Information pertaining to development of revegetation success <br />criteria for areas without replaced topsoil were received from <br />Pittsburg & Midway on March 24, 1982. To satisfy the requirements <br />of Rule 4.15.10(1) pertaining to the revegetation success criteria <br />for previously mined areas, Pittsburg 8 Midway collected cover data <br />along fifteen (15) transects. From these transects, a mean <br />_28_ <br />