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vegetation and dividing by 50. Hits on bare ground, rock and litter will be recorded <br />separately. If sample adequacy is not met with ten transects, additional transects will <br />be located and measured until adequacy is obtained. <br />Herbaceous production sampling will consist of clipping the herbaceous vegetation <br />in quarter meter plots located along the previously discussed transects. Five plots <br />will be clipped along each transect. A minimum of five transects, the first five <br />randomly selected transects, will be required. If sample adequacy is not met with <br />[his minimum number, more randomly located transects will be sampled until <br />adequacy is met. <br />Measurements of woody plant density will consist of counting the number of shrubs <br />with 25 randomly located lm x 25m, belt transects. <br />Due to the fact that the area adjacent to the Bear No. 3 portal has been previously <br />disturbed, the success criteria of Rule 4.15.10 are applicable. Specifically, the <br />ground cover of living plants shall not be less than can be supported by the best <br />available topsoil and shall be sufficient to control erosion. The more stringent <br />requirements of Rule 4.15.8, which include meeting standards for herbaceous <br />production and species diversity, are applicable to reclaimed areas at the Bear No. <br />1 and No. 2 Mines and areas of Bear No. 3 that were not disturbed by previous <br />mining operations. <br />Bear Coal Company has requested, pursuant to Rule 4.15.7(2)(d)(vi), that the <br />Division set the revegetation success standards for the Bear Mine for the parameters <br />of herbaceous cover and production, species diversity and woody plant density based <br />on local environmental conditions and available data for similar sites. The standards <br />are listed below. <br />1. Herbaceous Production: 16001bs/acre <br />2. Herbaceous Cover: 40 percent <br />3. Species Diversity: The species diversity standard is based on species <br />composition (% relative cover). The reclaimed vegetation surface shall include <br />at least three herbaceous species with relative cover equal to or greater than 3 <br />percent, two of which are cool season grasses, and one forb. The combined <br />relative cover of these species should not exceed 80 percent, and no one species <br />should comprise greater than 60 percent. <br />4. Woody Plant Density: A woody plant density standard was originally <br />established for riparian areas at Bear No. 1, but is no longer applicable since <br />Mountain Coal Company assumed reclamation responsibility for that area. <br />27 <br />