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Furthermore, it is impossible to traverse more than a few feet of the reclaimed area without <br />observing elk sign. <br />' Development of the permanent seed mixes considered anticipated reclaimed site conditions and the <br />desired vegetation communities to achieve postmining land use for wildlife habitat and livestock <br />grazing. Specific goals which factored into the permanent seed mixes included rapid and long-term <br />' surface stabilization, ease of establishment, maximum use of native species, high levels of utility for <br />wildlife and livestock, good forage production potential, compatibility with native species present in <br />' replaced topsoil, and the ability to be self-sustaining or compliment successional processes in the <br />reclaimed plant communities. <br />' Typical farm type equipment was used to plant the reclamation seed mixes. Various techniques <br />were used to established shrubs. Seed mixes used between 1981 and 1987 included rubber <br />' rabbitbrush, mountain big sagebrush, serviceberry, snowberry and Woods rose as a method of <br />reestablishing native species. Only sagebrush, snowberry and Woods rose have survived. <br />' Monitoring results over the reclamation liability period has shown that seed mixes containing shrub <br />species tend to produce generally few shrubs because the competition from herbaceous plants, <br />especially grasses, is overwhelmingly oppressive. <br />Revegation monitoring incorporated into Partial Phase II and Phase III release indicated that all <br />revegetation success criteria were met. Shrub densities over the reclaimed area ranged from 71 to <br />4,600 stems per acre; the mine pit area, which covers 319 acres, averaged approximately 335 stems <br />per acre. The permit requirement was 200 stems per acre for Phase [II bond release everywhere <br />except the three shrub enhancement pazcels. <br />Shrub Enhancement <br />To further enhance the wildlife habitat characteristics of the reclaimed area, three shrub enclosures <br />were established at the mine in 1996: Parcel HG-8, Parcel 003 and Parcel E. The areas were <br />selected because water availability for plant growth was not a concern. The purpose of the planting <br />areas was to provide more diverse habitat for game and non-game species. The primary shrub <br />species that were incorporated into the shrub enhancement program included: <br />willow (Salix spp.) cottonwood (Populus spp.) <br />chokecherry (Prunes virginiana) black curcant (Ribes spp.) <br />Woods rose (Rosa woodsii) serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) <br />Snowberry (Symphiocarpus spp.) <br />Hayden Gulch :Nine 2006 Award Nomination Page 2 <br />