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• showing promising results with over 6,500 shrub seedlings per acre and 1.35 perennial grass and 0.38 <br />perennial fortis per square foot. However, EP037 is exhibiting marginal success after one growing season <br />with only 0.44 perennial seedings per square foot and no shrubs documented during sampling. <br />Continued monitoring of these areas in the future will help establish what initial emergent densities can <br />be considered successful and what areas need to be remediated. <br />2.6.2 West Pit <br />Tables 6 and 7 exhibit the average cover and composition of vegetation found on five of the West <br />Pit units evaluated in 2003. Unit WP004 (7 growing seasons) has progressed well toward satisfaction of <br />required bond release criteria with the exception of woody plant density. Perennial cover (51.2%) and <br />production (2,664 pounds per acre) should easily pass comparisons with the reference areas, while the <br />present diversity of perennial grasses and forts (8 perennial grasses and 1 perennial fort) meet the <br />standard of 3 perennial grasses and 1 perennial fort with between 3% and 50% relative cover. Woody <br />plant density in WP004, however, is low at 146 woody plants per acre, which is far below the present <br />standard of 90% of 1,000 woody stems per acre. see Appendix AA -Section 7.4 for a discussion on <br />options and recommendations with regard to woody plant density. Present levels of annual brumes are <br />• low and treatment is not presently recommended for this unit. <br />Unit WP007 is exhibiting generally positive results after four growing seasons. Perennial vegetation <br />appears to be healthy and presently exhibits 26.1% average ground cover. Although annual bromes <br />currently represent only 7% cover in WP007, it occurs as patches and these patches should be monitored <br />to gauge if they are expanding or shrinking. If monitoring reveals expansion use of the herbicide Oust or <br />Plateau is recommended. Woody plant density is good in this unit with 429 woody plants per acre. <br />WP007 may meet the woody plant standard of 90% of 1,000 stems per acre in the future if the present <br />population continues to expand. <br />Units WP009, WPO10, and WPOll are exhibiting positive results after two growing seasons. Annual <br />brome populations are low (less than 2% cover in each area), aRhough monitoring needs to continue <br />over the next couple of years to document any problematic invasion. The non-invasive annuals, Russian <br />thistle and field penny cress are the dominant species and will quickly disappear in the next few years <br />when the elevated soil nutrient availability returns in lower levels. A modest woody plant density of 178 <br />plants per acre in WP009 is somewhat encouraging considering the young age of the revegetation. <br />WPO10 and WP011 have less promising woody plant densities after two growing seasons. <br />ICennecon enwgy co. i Cdowyo Mine Page 70 Revegetadon Monftoring -2003 <br />