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• <br />III. SAMPLING METHODOLOGY <br />AGENCY COORDINATION <br />On June 17 and July 2, 1996, Michael Savage met with Mr. Larry Routten of CDMG <br />to discuss the baseline vegetation sampling required prior to on-the-ground <br />implementation of the expansion. Savage and Savage prepared a vegetation sampling <br />proposal for CDMG review and submitted the proposal after the July 2, 1996 meeting. <br />Mr. Routten reviewed the proposal for baseline data collection (in addition to several <br />other vegetation sampling proposals at MCC) and concurred with the baseline <br />vegetation sampling regimen proposed. <br />During meetings with CDMG, the rationale for baseline vegetation sampling of the <br />Sylvester Gulch Facilities Area was discussed. The need to characterize the vegetation <br />of the area slated for disturbance in terms of vegetation cover, herbaceous production, <br />woody plant density, and species composition was acknowledged, in order to establish <br />the nature of the pre-disturbance communities in the new facilities area. It was also <br />acknowledged that the plant community to be reestablished in Sylvester Gulch after <br />completion of reclamation would not, in all likelihood resemble the pre-disturbance <br />vegetation communities. <br />• For this reason, CDMG, Mountain Coal Company, and Savage and Savage agreed that <br />an alternative means of determining revegetation success for the West Elk Mine would <br />be developed. This alternative method of determining revegetation success will employ <br />collection of historic quantitative vegetation data on an area which resembles the <br />expected post-mining vegetation community. The approach and methods associated <br />with the historic records revegetadon success standards, while initially approved in <br />concept, are currently under review by CDMG. This approach is addressed in the <br />Sylvester Gulch Facilities Expansion permit revision. Acceptance of this approach to <br />determining revegetation success eliminates the necessity of fmding, sampling, and <br />establishing reference areas for those vegetation communities to be affected in Sylvester <br />Gulch which did not have reference azeas previously (aspen and riparian). <br />During pre-sampling investigation of the vegetation communities in the study azea, it <br />was found that unauthorized cattle grazing from the nearby Gunnison National Forest <br />had significantly affected the dry meadow stands in Sylvester Gulch. CDMG, <br />Mountain Coal Company, and Savage and Savage agreed that sampling of the dry <br />meadow vegetation community and dry meadow reference area in Sylvester Gulch in <br />1996 would yield non-representative data. Based on the proposal for establishing <br />revegetation success through historic records data, it was agreed that baseline sampling <br />of the dry meadow vegetation community in Sylvester Gulch would not be necessary or <br />. appropriate. <br />-4 <br />