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~~ <br />' in 2001 will satisfy completion of the ten year bond liability period. Achievement of the <br />remaining requisite was documented by surveying the established vegetation for cover, <br />' production, and species diversity standazds; conducting a grazing program to prove sustainable <br />use of rangeland; and analysis of water quality and quantity data collected from the site over a 14 <br />year period. Each condition and its supporting documentation are discussed in the following <br />sections. <br />REVEGETATION SUCCESS <br />' Vegetation on the reclaimed and reference areas was randomly sampled on June 26 through July <br />2, and July 6 through 8, 2000. Vegetative cover, species composition, and herbaceous biomass <br />production were evaluated. The results of the stt+dy are summarized beloev. A detailed <br />' description of the study and analyses are presented in Appendix A. <br />The approved reclamation success standards, as specified by the CDMG during permitting, for <br />the Colorado Yampa Coal Mine are as follows: <br />Cover -Vegetation cover will be restored on the disturbed areas to 90 percent of the cover on the <br />' Pasture Reference Area. <br />Production -Vegetation production will be restored on the disturbed areas to 90 percent of the <br />' production on the Pasture Reference Area. <br />Species Diversity -The permit standards for pastureland states that alfalfa shall not exceed 7~ <br />' percent relative production and perennial grasses shall provide at least 25 percent relative <br />production. Also, no single species shall exceed 75 percent relative cover. <br />Cover values on the Mine I and Eckman Pazk Reclaimed Areas are determined to exceed the <br />cover values for the Pasture Reference Area, thereby satisfying the success standard specified in <br />the permit. <br />Vegetative production on the Mine I and Eckman Park Reclaimed Areas are determined to <br />exceed the production values for the Pasture Reference Area, thereby satisfying the success <br />' standard specited in the permit. <br />Analysis of the species diversity standard shows the reclaimed area to satisfy all values <br />' established in the permit. The 2000 sampling event satisfied the species diversity standard for all <br />defined parameters. The sampling revealed [hat relative production for alfalfa is 29.74 percent <br />' on the Mine 1 area and 1 S.O1 percent on the Eckman Park reclaimed area, well below the 76 <br />percent maximum standard. The permit requirement that perennial grasses account for at least <br />25 percent of the relative production was easily satisfied with values of 56.2 and ~7.6~ percent <br />relative production on the Mine 1 and Ecktnan Park reclaimed areas, respectively. <br />1 <br /> <br />IJ <br />