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{Vest E!k Mine <br />Reclaimed Area Monitoring Plan <br />Vegetation monitoring at the West Elk Mine will encompass both interim and final revegetation <br />monitoring. Interim revegetation monitoring will be conducted on the Lower Refuse Pile for the <br />purposes of evaluating revegetation plan elements, including, but not limited to, seed mix <br />components, application rates and methods, and mulching. Generally, newly revegetated areas <br />exhibit annual "weed" dominance for the first one to three years after seeding. Since this <br />occurrence is widely acknowledged as normal in revegetation scenarios, information obtained from <br />sampling during this period is not particularly useful. Mountain Coal Company does not plan to <br />undertake any interim monitoring while annual "weedy" species are dominant. For this reason, <br />MCC proposes interim revegetation monitoring after the perennial revegetation species have <br />become well established. <br />Frnal reclamation monitoring of the revegetated mine site will commence in the second year <br />following seeding, in accordance with the definition of the extended liability period. Monitoring <br />will take place during years 2, 4, 6, 9, and 10 of the liability period. Sampling methods and <br />statistical analysis will be consistent with those described in Section 2.05.4 of the MRP. <br />Grating Success <br />During the last two years of the 10-year liability period, a grazing program using domestic livestock <br />will be instituted. Grazing will occur at a capacity and management level consistent with that for <br />adjacent properly managed non-mined lands. <br />Although grazing with domestic livestock is preferred, grazing trials may preclude or interfere with <br />post mining vegetation sampling or operational requirements. In this case, grazing studies will be <br />substituted for the direct use of livestock. These substitute studies will involve clipping large plots <br />during normal periods of grazing to simulate grazing by livestock. Regazdless of which grazing <br />method is used, herbaceous production and cover will be estimated on both affected and reference <br />areas. Data from affected and reference areas will then be compared using t-tests. <br />Agricultural Monitorin Plan <br />When the West Elk Mine was originally permitted, an annual survey was used to conduct <br />agricultural monitoring. After each growing season, landowners with agricultural lands in the North <br />Fork Valley were surveyed. The survey consisted of interviewingeach landownerorally. Results of <br />this survey aze contained in Exhibit 9. <br />After the 1982 survey, OMLR and Mountain Coal Company determined the annual survey was no <br />longer necessary. Both found mining practices and monitoring programs in effect at the West Elk <br />Mine sufficient to ensure that the mining operation would not significantly degrade water quality or <br />reduce water quantity in the North Fork of the Gunnison River. There is little, if any, chance the <br />mine would affect the North Fork AVF. Based on these considerations, OMLR determined the <br />yeazly agricultural monitoring program was of little value and could be discontinued. Therefore, <br />Mountain Coal Company ended the agricultural monitoring program after the 1982 survey. <br /> <br />Revised,\'or. /996 PR07 <br />2.05-69 <br />