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SCS) office or other acceptable Reclamation experts stating, "The revegetated azeas are <br />capable of being utilized per their post-mining land use," will serve as documentation <br />that the area has been successfully revegetated. <br />Reclamation success standazds for the cropland and haylands are based on five years of <br />historical production data shown in Tables 69 and 70. The area will be judged <br />successfully reclaimed when it reaches 90 percent of the historic production record, with <br />a 90 percent statistical confidence. <br />Many azeas of surface disturbance within the Eagle Mines permit azea were disturbed by <br />operations previous to the currently permitted Eagle No. 5 and 9 Mine workings. <br />Pursuant to Rule 4.15.10, standazds in previously mined areas shall not be less than the <br />minimum ground cover existing before redisturbance. Areas which fall under this <br />category aze shown on Reclamation Plan Map No. 29. These areas will be deemed <br />successfully revegetated when the cover of perennial species on these azeas is 30 percent <br />or greater. This is based on the cover data obtained during the 1983 sampling period on <br />a previously disturbed area neaz the No. SA Portal and an old reclaimed surface mine. <br />The survey data are given in Section 2.04 of the permit application. <br />On the remainder of the permit azea, including the waste disposal area, and all azeas not <br />under cropland, hayland, or previously disturbed areas (before May 3, 1978), the <br />Division, with one exception, has approved utilizing a reference azea methodology for <br />determining revegetation success. Herbaceous cover and production of the reclaimed <br />areas will be compazed to the reference azeas. Species diversity standazds vary <br />depending on post-mining land use as set forth in Section 2.05 of the permit application. <br />The shrub standazd on these areas will be 1,000 shrub stems per acre. <br />The one exception where the Division has not approved use of a reference azea is the <br />No. 9 portal area (pastureland reference area D). RAG-EC has not submitted acceptable <br />baseline data for Reference Area D (for cover, production, and species diversity, as <br />required by Section 2.04.10). <br />Previously, Stipulation No. 10 had been attached to the permit requiring RAG-EC to <br />provide baseline data for Reference Area D. RAG-EC sampled and provided results of <br />the dryland pasture sampling in 2001. The sample data indicated that cover and <br />production for the proposed reference area was inferior to Moffat county averages, pre- <br />mining data, and data collected from neighboring dryland pastures. RAG-EC submitted <br />the dryland pasture data via Technical Revision No. 33. Submittal of the dryland <br />pasture vegetation sampling data complied with the requirements of Stipulation No. 10. <br />Stipulation No. 10 has been removed from the approval document. <br />On Mazch 15, 2002, the Division partially approved TR-33 but specifically did not <br />approve the proposed reference area D as representative of dryland pasture success. The <br />Eagle Mine Complex permit does not have an approved dryland pasture reference azea. <br />Therefore, the approved post-mining land-use of cropland at the Mine No. 9 portal azea <br />will remain in effect as stated in permit section 2.05.4. <br />30 <br />