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Weighted average cover, all areas combined = 1=322.77/22.28 = 63.86°io <br />90°'0 of this amount is = ~7.d7% <br />Revision to V1'oodv_Plant Density and Species Diversity Standards <br />It is also suggested that: a) the woody plant density standard be eliminated from the revegetation <br />success criteria and b) the species diversity standard be revised such that only 4 cool season <br />grasses be established such that no one species accounts for more than 40°'0 or less than 3% of <br />the measured vegetative cover. This should be done for the following reasons: <br />1) Enron has spent large sums of money fighting noxious weeds on the reclaimed areas every <br />year for each of the last ten years. It is well known that the Nine Mile Gap area has a serioius <br />problem with leafy spurge and to a lesser extent, thistle. Enron has co-operated with The Rio <br />Blanco Weed Assocaition in doing its part to spray the weeds on the reclaimed areas. Enclosed in <br />this section are the County Weed crew billings to Enron for the past 9 years. This does not <br />include private contracting done with the landowners directly. <br />Due to the intense spraying that has occurred, it was unavoidable that many valuable shrub and <br />forb plants would be killed by the Tordon 22K used to spray the leafy sprurge. Special beetle <br />• larvae have been placed in the very thick spurge areas on the Rienau property. These larvae eat <br />the roots of the spurge plant. This solution may be more attractive in the long run, but it will <br />likely need many years to begin to overcome the weed. In the meantime, the spray is needed to <br />prevent huge areas and remote areas from being overcome with the weed. <br />2) The Enron reclaimed areas are small patches of primarily grassy areas surrounded by <br />communities of big sage or mountain shrub. The grassy areas are welcome for grazing and <br />wildlife, and are serving their purpose well, since they are being heavily used by wildlife. There <br />simply is no need to restore these areas of <10 acres to shrub/forb communities. <br />3) The enclosed letter from Alvin Jones of the Soil Conservation Service in Meeker <br />recommending dropping of the shrub and forb requirements in the revegetation success criteria. <br />4) The enclosed letter from Rio Blanco County Weed Control stating that some forbs and shrubs <br />will be killed using Tordon to control weeds, however, it must be done. <br />5) The enclosed letter from the Colorado Division of Wildlife stating that woody plants are not <br />needed in the reclaimed areas and that the areas are very stable due to the good grass cover. <br />• Revised 8/16/96 <br />h1-~a ~, <br />