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distance wildlife and livestock have to travel for water. These fifty stockponds were approved for Phase <br />I bond release during SLr01. They have all been approved to remain as permanent impoundments. The <br />stock ponds and drainages were in good condition. <br />TMI sampled vegetation in the summer of 2001 and the summer of 2002. Rangeland bond release <br />blocks were sampled for vegetative cover, productivity, species diversity, and woody plant density. <br />Cropland bond release blocks were sampled for productivity only as per Rule 4.15.9. Colorado <br />experienced a drought in 2002 which impacted the productivity and cover results. Since TMI uses <br />reference azeas for vegetative success comparison, the reference azeas were impacted as well. Trapper <br />achieved vegetative success for rangeland cover, productivity, diversity and woody plant density. <br />Cropland productivity on the bond release blocks exceeded productivity on the cropland reference azeas <br />as well. Due to non-parametric data distribution of rangeland productivity and woody plant density, <br />TMI demonstrated reclamation success of these two parameters by using the reverse null hypothesis. <br />Species diversity success was determined from vegetative cover data. The species diversity success <br />standazd on rangeland azeas of the Trapper mine consists of a minimum of four cool season perennial <br />grass species and one forb species. Each of the contributing species needs to contribute at least 3 <br />percent relative cover but no more than 50 percent relative cover. No four species may contribute <br />greater than 80 percent relative cover. <br />Woody plant density (WPD) success standard is composed of two components. The first component <br />is comprised of 400 stems per acre measured during the cover data collection. The second <br />component is comprised of concentrated shrub clumps. The shrub clumps are composed of <br />transplanted shrub pads. If pads exhibit 10 or more live shrubs per pad, the pad is considered alive. <br />If fifty percent or greater of the shrub pads within a clump are considered alive the clump is <br />considered successful. Fifteen shrub clumps were established with the bond release blocks. 2001 <br />sampling measured 76.7% live pads within the clumps. 2002 sampling measured 69.6% live pads <br />within the clumps. The shrub clumps and woody plant densities were considered successful for both <br />bond release blocks with a WPD standazd. <br />Trapper Mine, SL-04 Findings 7 November 18, 2003 <br />