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Rule 2: Permits <br />availability and other factors. Of prime importance to changing seed mixtures and rates will be the <br />• evaluation of initial revegetation success. <br />Land Management <br />Noxious Plant Control <br />• <br />I• <br />Noxious plants found on the permit area will be controlled throughout the life of the operation to <br />reduce the seed source available to invade reclaimed areas. Revegetated areas will be qualitatively <br />evaluated annually to assess noxious plant populations. A weed control plan will be developed in <br />accordance with the Noxious Weed Management Act in cooperation with the State of Colorado, Las <br />Animas County, and CDMG. Monitoring and control of noxious plants on both rangeland and reclaimed <br />areas and land management practices to prevent their establishment will effectively limit noxious plant <br />populations. <br />Livestock Grazing Controls <br />Livestock grazing will be restricted during operations and the reclamation liability period. Timing of <br />grazing will be determined jointly by LCC and the CDMG. Livestock damage to revegetation will be <br />controlled as necessary by selective fencing or other management techniques. Normal range management <br />practices will be used as necessary to enhance the value of revegetated areas. <br />Revegetation Success Criteria <br />Revegetation success will be based on the comparison of revegetated communities to corresponding <br />unmined reference area communities. LCC will utilize an extended reference area (ERA) approach <br />comprised of undisturbed areas within the intensive vegetation baseline inventory area. Map 2.04.10-1 <br />shows the disturbed areas superimposed on the vegetation community type map. Designated undisturbed <br />areas form the ERA for Oak/Pinion and grassland extended reference areas. Potential ERA's for Hay <br />Meadow vegetation communities are being investigated. The selected area will be indicated on Map <br />2.04.10-1 subject to evaluation and landowner consent. <br />LCC will manage extended reference areas to achieve at least fair range condition. The Las Animas <br />NRCS has provided two range site descriptions applicable to the soils underlying the extended reference <br />areas: Loamy Foothill (#202) and Shallow Foothill (#204). Annual production during unfavorable years <br />for these areas is estimated at 800 and 300 Ib/ac, respectively. To achieve fair range condition the NRCS <br />suggests the Climax Vegetation should be maintained within the range of 26 to ~0 percent, respectively. <br />For loamy foothill soils, this corresponds to grazing levels of O.13 to 0.24 AUIvUac, for shallow foothill <br />soils, this number ranges from 0.08 to 0.11 AUM/ac. LCC management of extended reference areas will <br />meet these levels to maintain at least fair range conditions. <br />Revegetated areas and the ERA, when appropriate, will be grazed at an appropriate level for at least rivo <br />years during the last five years of responsibility for vegetative establishment. Grazing will be conducted <br />so that it does not preclude acquisition of appropriate production, cover. and diversity data. Vegetation <br />measurements will be conducted on revegetated areas and the ERA for at least the last two years of <br />2.05-71 <br />(Revised 7/29/03) <br />