Laserfiche WebLink
• <br />r~ <br />L <br /> <br />Revegetation Monitoring <br />The success of planted and seeded vegetation will be monitored <br />biennially after initial planting and seeding. Monitoring will consist of <br />qualitative and quantitative vegetation sampling techniques that <br />measure the vegetation cover, species diversity and the survival of plant <br />species within the revegetated areas. <br />Revegetation Sampling Methods <br />Revegetation sampling methods employed to measure the success of <br />revegetation at the King II Mine will comply with those specified by the <br />regulatory authority at the time of revegetation monitoring and bond <br />release. Currently CDMG Rule 4.15.11 specifies methods for use in <br />vegetation sampling. Any of those specified methods may be employed at <br />the King II Mine for vegetation sampling. <br />Revegetation Success Criteria <br />To evaluate revegetation success at the King II Mine use of a reference <br />area approach is proposed. A reference area comprising a subset of the <br />rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland community will be fenced from <br />mechanized equipment and maintained during the course of operations. <br />The reference area will be a minimum of three acres in size and will be <br />located away from mining operations. <br />The reference area will serve to provide revegetation success criteria for <br />total vegetation cover and total herbaceous production. These <br />parameters will be sampled during the same season and in the same <br />manner as the revegetated area to establish the success criteria for total <br />vegetation cover and total herbaceous production. <br />Success Criteria: Total Vegetation Cover and Total Herbaceous <br />production <br />Determination of revegetation success in achieving the total vegetation <br />cover or total herbaceous production success criteria will be based on <br />quantitative statistical means. The Student's t test is a robust statistical <br />test to evaluate the equivalency of two sample means (Zar, 1974). This <br />test should be employed to test the null hypothesis that the sample mean <br />for revegetated parcel cover or production is equal to or greater than 90 <br />percent of the value of the corresponding cover success criterion. <br />Standard statistical probability ranges should be employed in the <br />National King Coal, LLC King II Mine <br />Section 2.05.4 <br />Page 10 May, 2006 <br />