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<br />'' 1. The site has been successfully reclaimed to serve the post mining land <br />uses of rangeland for cattle grazing land and wildlife habitat, the historic <br />landuses. Both uses have been successfully documented at the mine <br />site. <br />Rangeland utility was demonstrated in 1996. The operator grazed the <br />reclaimed area with 200 cow/calf pairs. Fences were opened and the <br />cattle were able to move in and out of the reclaimed area. Salt blocks <br />were placed away from the ponds on the reclaimed area to avoid <br />concentration around the ponds and encourage utilization of forage <br />throughout the reclaimed area. No detrimental effects from grazing were <br />observed and in fact the reduction of vegetative litter caused by grazing <br />promoted vegetative growth. <br />During the course of the course .of the liability period, numerous wildlife <br />sitings have been observed. Pronghorn, mule deer, elk, sage grouse and <br />geese and duck sitings are common on the reclaimed area. <br />2. As requested in the "Call for Nominations", I am including the data that <br />.. verifies the establishment ~ of ~ a "diverse, effective and permanent <br />vegetation cover of the same seasonal variety native to the area of <br />' disturbed land"- Vegetative. data that verifies the bond release criteria <br />were presented in the bond release application, dated August, 1998. For <br />cover and production; Greystone collected data to achieve sample <br />adequacy according to the DMG's 1995 bond release guideline. Sample <br />adequacy was achieved in all cases. Reclaimed area cover and <br />production data was compared to the cover and production of the big <br />sagebrush reference area In alt •but two cases, the mean cover and <br />production of the reclaimed .area exceeded the mean cover and <br />production of the reference area: In the other two cases, data was <br />analyzed using the classic null hypothesis for a determination of success. <br />Data analysis showed that the .mean -cover and production in the <br />reclaimed area was not less then ninety percent of the mean reference <br />area cover and production with ninety percent statistical confidence. <br />Results of the cover and production sampling are shown below. Cover <br />and production were deemed successful. <br /> Mean Cover <br />(percent) Mean Production <br />founds/acre) <br />97-Reference Area 51.47 380.43 <br />97-Phase I, II, III 51.68 706.91 <br />97-Phase IV 48.00 830.48 <br />98-Reference Area 30.47 353.95 <br />98-Phase I, II, III 28.73 775.76 <br />98-Phase IV 31.33 810.02 <br />