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Appendu A - Vegetotion Sampling for 2003 <br />Rangeland Reclaimed Area. Evaluation of the data collected combined with visual observation of the <br />reclaimed azea versus the reference area resulted in the determination that additional transects would not <br />influence the integrity of the data. Conducting enough additional transects in the Rangeland Reference <br />Area to reach sample adequacy would have been difficult because of the limited size of the area. <br />Additionally, data collected to that point displayed herbaceous production as four times greater on the <br />Rangeland Reclaimed Area than on the Rangeland Reference Area. Instead, each quadrat collected in <br />both rangeland areas is presented in this report as an individual sample, resulting in 90 samples collected <br />in each sampling unit. Table A-2 summarizes the sample adequacy data for herbaceous production plots. <br />Per Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology guidelines on statistical evaluations (CDMG Guidelines <br />for Compliance with Land Use and Vegetation Requirements for Coal Mining, November 28, 1998; <br />Section V, A, Paragraph 2), "In some cases, vegetation community stmcture is such that obtaining an <br />adequate sample for certain parameters is exceedingly difficult. An upper limit of 50 samples is usually <br />set, if appropriate sampling procedures ... are followed." The sample methodology utilized to collect <br />production samples during yeaz 2005 qualifies as a stratified random sample in that each randomly <br />located transect is a unique, non-overlapping group of potential sample points. Six randomly determined <br />sample locations were collected within each strata (transect). Basin believes that the much higher <br />herbaceous production on the Rangeland Reference Area combined with the spatial variability of the <br />vegetation community on both rangeland areas qualifies as a vegetative community structure that is <br />exceedingly difficult to achieve sample adequacy, and requests that the data collected, having exceeded <br />the 50-sample threshold, be accepted as valid for the purpose of success standazd comparison for <br />production data collected on [he Rangeland Reference Area and Rangeland Reclaimed Area. <br />RESULTS <br />Revegetation success for Phase III Bond Release at the Golden Eagle Mine was evaluated according to <br />the CDMG, Guideline Regarding Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues, April 18, 1995_ Vegetation <br />parameters include: vegetative cover, herbaceous production, and species diversity. <br />The results discussed in this section pertain to the AVF Reference and Reclaimed Areas and the <br />Rangeland Reference and Reclaimed Areas. Transect locations are illustrated on Figures 1 and 2. The <br />analysis and results of each pazameter aze contained in the following sections. <br />Vegetative Cover - 2005 <br />Sample adequacy results for vegetative cover on each of the four sampling units was based on the total <br />amount. of live "hits," and is displayed in Table A-1. Evaluation of standard success for vegetative cover <br />is based on the sampling conducted on the azeas in June of 2005. <br />292 -Golden Eagle Phase III (10.07.05) A-3 <br />