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Woody plant density sampling reveals that both reclaimed sites are producing significantly fewer shrubs that associated with the Grassland Reference Area standard. This deficiency could potentially pose a serious problem at the time of final bond release unless shrubs either become established on these sites through the processes of natural succession or through artificial plantings. Species diversity also possess a potential problem with respect to final bond release. Both the 1983 and 1987 reclaimed sites meet the single species diversity standard but exceed the established species diversity standards for the four dominate plants. Evidence suggests that the two species diversity standards; of a single species not exceeding 40 percent of the total plant cover and the four dominate plants not exceeding 80 percent of the total cover is taken directly from earlier Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division's Vegetation Guidelines. Examination of the vegetation monitoring data collected from the Southfield Mine in 1980 in connection with the original permitting and again in 1987 reveals that the most dominate plant species growing on the Grassland Reference Area is Blue Grama. In 1980, when the vegetation was sampled with respect to basal area this plant accounted for 51.83 percent of the total basal cover growing on this site. This plant accounted for 41.46 percent of the total plant cover growing on this site from the 1987 sampling. The four most dominate species accounted for 64.45 percent of the total plant cover from the 1980 sampling and 69.27 percent from the 1987 sampling. This comparison shows that while both the 1983 and 1987 reclaimed sites are approaching the point of exceeding the single species diversity standard, the native conditions associated with the Grassland Reference Area also are deficient with respect to this standard. 12