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<br />Vegetation MeaswemeMS ror Bond Release: New RodzOn Mine NH1 10 Aae Site and Reverence Area <br />1.0 INTRODUCTION <br />New Horizon Mine near Nucta, Montrose County, Colorado, is seeking bond release on a 10. <br />acre portion of the surface coal mine reclaimed area identified as NH1. In support of the <br />requested bond release, 810-Logic Environmental (810.Logic) measured vegetation <br />characteristics (live perennial cover and herbaceous productiop) at the NH1 10-acre site and the <br />Dryland Pasture Reference Area in August and eady September 2005, and found that <br />vegetation cover and production at the NH1 10.aae site exceeded the standard determined at <br />the reference area. This report describes the methods and results of the vegetation study, and <br />supports the conclusion that revegelation at the NH1 10-acre site is adequate for bond release. <br />2.0 STUDYARFJIDESCRIPTION <br />The project area is shown in Figure 1. The NH1 site (shown in Figure 2) is at about 5,700 feet <br />elevation, and covers level and sloping terrain up to about 10% slopes. The reclamation goal <br />for this site is Dryland Pasture. <br />The Dryland Pasture Reference Area (shown in Figure 3) is near the Hopkins-Montrose County <br />Airport south of Nucla, at about 5,900 feet elevation. The reference area was described in the <br />report Study of Vegetation Production and Cover New Airport Reference Area (Dryland <br />Pasture) (BIO-Logic Environmental, submitted to Western Fuels Colorado, LLC July 2005). <br />3.0 METHODS <br />We sampled cover and herbaceous production at the NH1 10.acre site and the reference area <br />• between August 23 and September 9, 2005. Sampling methods and statistical comparison of <br />data between the sites was performed according to methods approved by Colorado Division of <br />Minerals and Geology (CDMG) Environmental Protection Specialist Dan Mathews during an on- <br />site meetlng on August 23. <br />Sampling Point Selection <br />At each site, a 50-toot grid was created iri CAD and overlaid on the site boundary on a <br />georeferenced digital aerial photograph. Each grid square wholly within the site was <br />consecutively numbered, and geographic coordinates of the centers of each grid square were <br />determined in CAD. Sixty grid square numbers at each ske were randomly selected using a <br />random number function in Microsoft Excel, and geographic coordinates of the selected grid <br />square centers were loaded into a Garmin GPS-V GPS unit (estimated accuracy 18 feet) which <br />was used to navigate to the selected sample points. . <br />Transects and Cover Measurement <br />Vegetation cover was measured by the point intercept method, using a laser point bar. After <br />arriving al each sample point, a stake was thrown over the shoulder to mark the start point of a <br />100-foot transect. A 100.foot tape was laid out from the Vansect start point on a randomly <br />selected compass bearing. At 10-foot intervals from 10 to 100 feet on the tape, the laser point <br />frame was set up perpendicular to the tape. The intercept of the laser point was recorded at 10 <br />BI0.LOglc Envlronmengl 2 <br />September 2005 <br />IrI <br />l.J <br />11 <br />