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6 The weighted average production from the vege- tation basal ins information for [he mine measured 706 oven-dry pounds per acre for all community types In the first production standard submit [al PbM pro- posed that 700 air-dry pounds per acre be esta- blished as the production standard. This approach seemed reasonable since forty-five percent o~ the lease area is covered 6 [he Pin on-Joni er comou- ni[y v c average only 351 Hounds pgr awe„ The OSM countered this figure with 784 air-dry pounds per acre. The OSH also established that [his figure vas the absolute minimum and that [he 90Z of product iort factor vas already figured Sn. PSN agreed to these terms. Diversity The diversi Cy standard is divided into [vo sub- categories, inter-habit diversity end intro-habit diversity. Inter-habit diversity standard descri- bes the ratio in percentages between grasses, (orbs end shrubs that are Co be established. The 1n[ra- habit diversity standard describes [he number of species and the maximum and/or minimum percentage of contribution a given species may contribute to a particular habit. The inter-habit diversity standard vas taken directly from page three of [he SCS Range Site Deacriptioo. The infer-habit standard requires the following plant common icy composition: 70 to 75 percent grass and grasslike, flue [o [en percent forbs, and 15 to 20 percent shrubs and half-shrubs. The Sn tra-habit divers icy standard vas develop- ed utilizing a combination of the SCS Loamy Range Site Description, "CUld aline for Evaluating Species Diversity" Colorado Hined Land Reclamation Division, and 'Tfethods for Evaluating Diversity" Emrich (1983) The in [ra-habit blonds rd requires that a minimum of five major species will be present in the herbaceous strata. The woody plant stratum will contain at a minimum three major contributing species. Seed aveila6111[y, species desireability with regard to the post-mining land use, and seed planting require- ments (biological end methanlcal) also played a role in limiting Che [o [al number of major species re- quired for the two strata. Woody Plant Density The standard esCablis has [ha[ there is no mini- mum woody stem stocking level for 90 percent of the reclaimed area. For the remaining 10 percent of [he reclaimed area shrub clue[e rs will be establish- ed with 9 minimum of 400 woody stems per acre. This standard vas derived from converse[ ions with local wildlife egeacies including [he Nev Nexico Depart- ment of Cmme end Fish and The Navajo Nation FSsh and Wildlife, experience with woody stem esta- blishment on reclaimed lands end negotiation vfih~- [he regule [ory authority. The Lommy Range Site Description vas not used in the establishment of the woody plan[ density standards. M exhibit ahwing [he conceptualized loca- tions of shrub clusters vas developed to deline- ate Che percentage of the reclaimed lend that -V'S- could reasonably be expected [o meet the woody seem stocking req ul cements. The ex hi hit vas developed on 1"=400' pus[-min Sng countour maps from [he 1983 permit application. I[ vas assumed [hat shrub growth you ld be favored on northwest [o nor[ heal[ facing reclaimed slopes as a result of increased shading and moisture in these areas. Slopes within these aspect ranges were delineated on [he exhibit for lands [o be reclaimed during [he permit term. The sum of conceptualized ec reagea for potential shrub clusters vas divided by the [o Cel at reage ex- pected to be reclaimed during the permit term [o establish the 10 percent figure for [he standard. CONCLUSION In place of vege[eCi on baseline informa[ien obtained throuR cast y ie stu es, reasonable and achievable revege[aC1on standards for cover, productivity and diversity were eveloped for HcK In lgy_MSOe~76~l1g SCS Range Si[e Descri pions. the information used to develop these descriptions has been compiled over a number of years end ie probably more reliable Chan information gathered during one growing season 1n [he form of a baseline study, par[iculerly Sn the acid sou[hves[. SCS Range Site Descriptions are available for virtually all coal Yegions in this country and could easily be used for the dove Lapmen[ of revege- tation success criteria for reclaimed lends. When SCS information is used, vegetation baseline studies could 6e limited to identiPicat ion of habitats cr!- [iral to vi ldlife species of high federal Interest, threatened and endangered species invert toriea, and limited ground-truthing of Range Site Descr iptlons. The remainder of costly pre mining vegetation sur- veys could then be ellmina[ed, as yell as [he long term ma lntenante of reference areas for bond release purposes. This should be possible whenever Order III Soil Surveys (or more intensive surveys) are conducted a[ a mine site and SCS Range Site Descrlp- [Sons are available for the dis[ritt Sn vh ich a mine is located. LITERATURE CITED Colorado Hined Land Reclamation Div SSlon, "Proposed Policy for Evaluating Species 6lversity", p. 2. Emrich, Sandra L. 1983. "Methods for Evaluating Species Diversity." In: Symposium on Western Coal Regulatory Issues-Land Use, Revege[et ion, and Management. Colorado Slate Unlversi[y, Range Science Department, Sc Sen ce Series Na. 35, pp. 43-46. Mazloom, Beverly. Office of Surface Mining. 1981 30 CFR Part 200 to End. U.S. Government Pr Snting OFPIce, Washington, D.C. State of Nev Mexico Surface Coal MSning Regula[Sons: Rule 80-1. 1980. Tfie Hin ing and Minerals D 1vislon, Santa Fe, Nev Nexico. U. S. Department of Agricul CU re, So11 Conservation Service. 1976. Net ional Range Handbook.