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! 4 III 'l l'I III IIII II II STATE OF COLO1tAUU DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY Department of Natural Resources 1313 Sherman St., Room ? I S Denver, Colurad0 80203 DIVISION O F Phone: (303) 866-3567 MINERAL S FAR: 13031 8328106 & Mazch 27, 2001 G E O L O G Y RECLAMATION MINING•$AFETY Mr. Rick Mills Colorado Yampa Coal Company Bill Owens 29587 Routt Counry Road No 27 eOVe`°°` Oak Creek, CO 80467 Greg E. W alcher Executive Director Michael B. Lang Re: Vegetation Sampling for Eckman Park and Mine No. 1, C-81-071 Division Duecl°r Dear Mr. Mills: The Division has reviewed CYCC's submittal of"Phase III Bond Release" vegetation sampling data report submitted to the Division on December 14, 2000. This report represents summarization of vegetation data collected on the Eckman Park and Mine No. 1 during late June through early July 2000. The data represents the first yeaz of sampling for the required two consecutive growing season vegetative data for final bond release (Rule 4.15.7(5). The Division reviewed the data to assure that the required sampling methodologies were followed as described in the approved permit, DMG's "Guideline regazding selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues" (dated April ] 8, 1995), and the Regulations of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining. CYCC divided the reclaimed azea into two (2) blocks. These two blocks, Energy Mine No. I and Eckman Park Mine, were reclaimed at different times and with different seed mixes. Energy Mine No. primarily has an East and Northern aspect. Eckman Park Mine generally has a Northwesterly aspect. This is a logical division. The reclaimed area of Pond K is included in the Energy Mine No. 1 sampling block. A 2.4 acre parcel that was not eligible for final bond release in SL-07 (Area 41), is included in the Eckman Park Mine block at the Division's recommendation. The approved post-mining land use is pastureland. Both cover and production data was collected on the reference area, Energy Mine No.l and the Eckman Park Mine. All data was collected to adequacy using the Snedecor-Cochran adequacy formula approved by DMG in the previously referenced guideline. CYCC reclamation success standards compare the reclaimed areas to a pastureland reference azea (Rule 4.15.7(3) and permit page 81b-]60 rev. 7!10!92). The pasture reference azea exhibited 22.8% vegetative cover and 1068 lbs. herbaceous biomass per acre. The reclaimed areas are required to meet or exceed ninety percent of the measured reference area values to be considered successful. Ninety percent of the reference area cover equals 20.52% and ninety percent of the reference area herbaceous biomass equals 961.2 lbs./acre. Cover measured on the Energy Mine No. 1 area was 34.7%, well in excess of the standard. Herbaceous biomass production measured at the Energy Mine No. 1 block was 1976 lbs./acre, which is over twice the reference area standard. The Eckman Park Mine area block was measured at 38.2% cover and 2327 lbs./acre. Both parameters were well above the reference area standard.