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• forb. The combined relative cover of these species should not exceed 80 <br />percent, and no one species 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established for riparian areas at Bear No. 1 , but is no longer applicable since 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 />The permittee will not be required to reestablish a specific shrub density on <br />the remainder of the reclaimed area at the Bear No. 1 and No. 2, or at the <br />Bear No. 3. The fact that the total surface disturbance at the Bear mine is <br />less than 30 acres minimizes the importance of reestablishing shrubs for <br />wildlife use. The Mine No. 3 disturbance area is contained within an area <br />previously disturbed by mining and, as a result, the success criteria of <br />4.15.10 apply. The permittee is not obligated to meet a standard for <br />woody plant density. <br />The most critical objective of reclamation at the site is to stabilize the <br />surface, which can best be achieved through the establishment of a <br />predominately herbaceous community, including both quick growing and <br />long-lived perennial species. Certain shrub species will be included in the <br />broadcast seed mixture, along with adapted grasses and fortis. <br />• The data upon which the standards were based was collected by Mountain <br />Coal Company in the dry meadow vegetation type located approximately <br />one-half mile south of the Bear No. 1 and No. 2 portals. The type occurs <br />primarily on the top of the relatively level terraces to the south of the river. The <br />meadow type was created by clearing of the wet mixed shrub type for grazing. <br />The dry meadow data represented the most applicable available data for the <br />disturbed areas at the Bear mine, considering environmental conditions and the <br />revegetation plan. SCS production estimates for the Swale range site, which <br />corresponds to the Breece loam soil type along the North Fork, range from <br />1 ,500 pounds to 2,000 pounds per acre. Potential vegetation is primarily cool <br />season perennial grasses. <br />On the basis of available information, because Bear Coal Company is not <br />disturbing any previously undisturbed areas, the Division finds that the <br />proposed operation will not affect the continued existence of any threatened or <br />endangered species. <br />XII. Post-Mining Land Use <br />A. The Division approves apost-mining land use of undeveloped land for wildlife <br />habitat, with a minor end land use of limited residential use. <br />[] <br />26 <br />