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One issue of concern identified during the August, 1995 Permit Renewal 02 review <br />pertained to the use of the short lived sterile hybrid "regreen" as a cover crop. The 1994 <br />annual reclamation report noted that it was seeded with the permanent mix in the fall, <br />1994 seeding, although the species had not been listed as a cover crop species in the <br />application. The species was subsequently added to the cover crop species list, however <br />observations made during the summer of 1995 by both Seneca and Division personnel <br />indicated relatively poor initial establishment of permanent species on the areas cover <br />cropped with regreen. Regreen was not used in the fall, 1995 planting season. These <br />areas will be monitored during subsequent growing seasons and the future use of regreen <br />as a cover crop will be evaluated based on the field evaluations and monitoring data. <br />Revegetation success criteria, monitoring plans and methods of comparison for testing <br />revegetation success are addressed in Tab 22. Cover and production success for the <br />major mine area vegetation communities will be based on weighted average reference area <br />comparisons as described on pages 39-42 of Tab 22. The cover standard for mine area <br />reclamation and south extension area reclamation will be based on adjusted weighted <br />average reference area herbaceous cover. The reference area herbaceous cover value will <br />be doubled to set the success standard. For all mine area vegetation this adjustment is <br />deemed appropriate, because unadjusted reference area herbaceous cover in the mine area <br />vegetation types would be insufficient to control erosion; whereas use of total cover <br />would result in a standard unlikely to be achieved for decades, given the dense canopy <br />associated with late successional shrub communities in the mine area. <br />Cover and production success for upland and lowland rangeland reclamation areas in the <br />tie-across haul road corridor will be based on direct comparison with the low sagebrush <br />and meadow reference areas, respectively. Grain production from reclaimed wheat <br />cropland in the tie-across haul road corridor will be compared to county average dryland <br />wheat yield. <br />Species diversity standards for the mine area, south extension area and tie-across haul <br />road rangeland reclamation are based on the life form comparison approach recommended <br />in the Division's land use and vegetation guidelines. The species diversity standard for <br />the mine area requires establishment of at least three cool season grasses, three fortis, <br />four shrubs and one tree. Minimum and maximum cover is described in further detail in <br />Tab 22. Species diversity in the reclaimed areas along the haul road is concentrated on <br />the herbaceous component. <br />The woody plant density standard was approved in TR-26, in response to Stipulation No. <br />23 of the permit. The overall woody plant density for the reclaimed area will be 450 <br />stems/acre. In all concentrated planted areas, as shown on Exhibits 22-I and 22-1A, the <br />woody plant density standard will be 2,000 stems/acre. In the concentrated aspen sites <br />at least 500 of the 2.000 stems will be aspen. In the mesic drainage areas along Dry <br />Seneca 1[-W Findin¢s Document 38 June I5, 2001 <br />Permit Renewal No. 3 <br />