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• 3.6.2.2 Baseline Methodology <br />As described in Section 3.6.1.3, the sagebrush community in the previously proposed <br />disposal azea was selected as the basis of comparative measure for revegetation success. <br />The operator will utilize the total vegetative cover and herbaceous production data <br />obtained from the reference azea during bond release as the standards against which the <br />success of the revegetation program will be measured. Statistically adequate samples <br />will be obtained from both the reference area and the reclaimed areas and compared by <br />a statistical method acceptable to the state during bond release. Reclamation success and <br />sampling methodologies to be used during the bond release process are described more <br />fully in Section 4.4.2.10 (page 4-62 and following). The methods that were used during <br />the baseline study aze described below. <br />3.6.2.2.1 Cover Data <br />Table 3.6-1 exhibits the results of the cover sampling program in the sagebrush <br />communities in the reference area and the surface facilities area. Percent cover for a <br />species was calculated by dividing the number of hits for that species by the total <br />number of hits in an azea. The percent total cover for the previously proposed disposal <br />• area and the reference azea aze similar, with that for the surface facilities azea being <br />higher. The difference between the three areas can be attributed to the relative grazing <br />pressure each has received. The greater the grazing intensity, the lower the percentage <br />of grasses and forbs because they aze generally more palatable and, conversely, the <br />higher the percentage of shrubs and invading annual (cheatgrass) because they are <br />generally unpalatable and increase due to the decrease in competition from the perennial <br />grasses and forbs. Relative cover by species is presented in Table 3.6-2. This data <br />represents the species diversity of the site. <br />. NCIG -Coal Ridge a7 3-66 OS-16-96 <br />