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. DISCUSSION <br />Climatic Conditions <br />The year preceding sampling in July 2006 included a wet fall and winter of 2005. The spring and <br />early summer of 2006 was mostly dry, except for March 2006 which was near average (Figures <br />6a and 6b). When compared to other years in which monitoring has occurred back to 1987, both <br />the cumulative 12 months and 6 months total precipitation prior to sampling ranked 2006 near the <br />center of the nineteen years of record for April, with total precipitation amounts dropping <br />significantly by July (Figures 7a, 7b). Total precipitation for the previous six months was the <br />second lowest for the period of record back to 1987 for the month of July, with only the <br />exceptionally dry 2002 having been lower(Figure 8a, and Sb). The cumulative four month <br />precipitation values back to 1987 (Figure 9b) show that 2006 was 40% below the 19-year <br />average. With regard to temperature, cumulative January through June 2006 warmth was near <br />average (Figure 10). <br />Assessment of BRB-2 for Compliance with Interim Program Performance <br />Expectations <br />Lands reclaimed between May 3, 1978 and Sept 22, 1981, such as those of BRB-2, are <br />to be treated under provisions of the interim program, evaluating cover, productivity, and <br />species diversity on the basis of "results which could reasonably be expected using <br />methods of revegetation required under the initial program performance standards and <br />the requirements of their approved permit at the time." Although the more stringent <br />Permanent Program vegetation requirements are not applicable to BRB-2, a comparison <br />using those criteria is deemed to be test that, if passed, would demonstrate conclusively <br />that the BRB-2 vegetation characteristics were acceptable under the less-stringent <br />Interim Program language. <br />COVER <br />If the BRB-2 cover data are subjected to the same judgement as the permanent program <br />tests (below), the allowable herbaceous cover would be 46.1%, far in excess of 90% of <br />the standard (31.8%). As can be seen in Figure 1a, the allowable herbaceous cover of <br />BRB-2 (46.1%) falls above 90% of the Permanent Program standard set by the <br />Mountain Brush and Sagebrush/Snowberry reference areas (i.e. 31.8%). Inasmuch as <br />19 <br />