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will be affected. Undisturbed areas of the above vegetation types may be used to verify <br />• the above cover standard; however, et this time it is unclear es to how much area of these <br /> two types will remain undisturbed in the haul road corridor portion of the permit area. <br />Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) lands were occupied by the sagebrush and western <br />wheatgrass/alkali sagebrush types prior to being cropped. CRP lands will be seeded with <br />the permanent mix used in the haul road corridor unless the landowner specifically <br />requests the postmining land use be cropland- In this case, cropland success standards <br />will apply. As discussed in Tab 4, Land Use and Teb 10, Vegetation, CRP lands are former <br />cropland areas seeded to a permanent vegetative cover for a period of ten years. At the <br />end of the ten-year period, these lands may be maintained in permanent vegetation or <br />returned to cropland uses. The lands currently in CRP will have reached their ten-year <br />period during the life-of-mine and thus the final postmine land use is uncertain. As <br />stated above, the appropriate cropland or permanent vegetation standard will be applied. <br />Finally, the improved pasture-upland type located on the northern end of the haul road <br />corridor will be reclaimed with the permanent mix for the haul road corridor and have the <br />above haul road corridor cover standard apply. Although this type was reseeded with <br />improved pasture some years ago, it has not been managed as such and native species have <br />• been allowed to gradually invade. <br />Cover will not be evaluated for any eropland areas of the reclaimed haul road. This is <br />based on Rule 4.15.9 which states that success of reclamation for cropland will be based <br />on production only. <br />Cover will be measured as described in Sampling Parameters and Sampling Methodologies in <br />the Revegetation Monitoring section presented earlier in this tab. Sample adequacy will <br />be met for both reclaimed and reference area sampling where applicable. All sample points <br />will be randomly located. <br />Production. Reclamation success for production in the mine area will be evaluated by <br />comparing herbaceous production in the reclaimed areas to the weighted herbaceous <br />production value determined from the extended reference area. Herbaceous production will <br />be estimated by clipping the current year's above ground herbaceous biomass in randomly <br />2 2 <br />located 1/2m to [m sample plots. Fencing or exclosures will be used to exclude <br />livestock prior to sampling, where necessary. <br />• 41 Revised 06/19/95 <br />