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• contained in the Seneca II-W permit. Aline that indicates 90 percent of this standard has been <br />placed on Figure 1 for informational purposes. At such time as bond release is formally sought, <br />revegetation will be considered successful for cover when mean cover for a bond release block is <br />at least 90% of the calculated success standard or approved technical standard. <br />WOODY PLANT DENSITY: For purposes of comparisons in this document, woody plant density <br />at the Seneca II-W Mine is evaluated using a technical standard of 2000 shrubs per acre. <br />Climatic Data <br />Precipitation data were collected at the Seneca II-W Mine during 1998, 1999, 2000. For all <br />previous years, SCC provided precipitation data from the nearby Seneca II Mine for the period of <br />January 1982 through December 1997. Since the data record for that mine exists for only 17 <br />years, the long term average monthly precipitation data from the National Oceanic and <br />Atmospheric Administration (NOAH) for the nearby town of Hayden was used as an appropriate <br />base for comparison. Information on degree-days was based on temperature data derived from <br />the NOAH records at Hayden. <br />RESULTS <br />Data from the 2000 revegetation monitoring studies at the Seneca II-W Mine are presented in <br />Tables 1 through 19 contained in Appendix 1. The list of plant species observed during these <br />studies (reclaimed and reference areas) are included in Table 20 in Appendix 2. Seed mixes <br />used in the reclamation areas are included for reference in Appendix 3. Photographs of <br />representative locations within the reclaimed areas sampled in 2000, as well as photographs of <br />the Aspen, Mountain Brush, and Sagebrush reference areas are included in Appendix 4. Graphic <br />depiction of summaries of vegetation and climate data are presented in Figures 1 through 10 of <br />this report. <br />• In the cover descriptions below, species listed as "also present" were not "hit" during point- <br />intercept sampling but were present within one meter on either side of the 50 m sample transect <br />line. Cover percentages referred to in the following results as "percent of total vegetation cover" <br />are relative vegetation values. <br />1993 Reclaimed Area <br />(Photographs 1 through 4) <br />Cover (Table 1) <br />Native perennial cool season grasses were the dominant species in this area and provided <br />59.9 percent of total vegetation cover. Agassiz bluegrass (Poa agassizensis) and mountain <br />brome (Ceratochloa Carinata) contributed three-fifths and one-tenth of this lifeform's total, <br />respectively. Other major contributors were western wheatgrass (Pascopyrum smithii) and <br />slender wheatgrass (Elymus trachycaulus). Six other species made measurable contributions to <br />total vegetation cover. Native perennial (orbs contributed 13.1 percent of total vegetation cover. <br />Two-groove milkvetch (Astragalus bisulcatus) contributed one-third of this total. Together, blue <br />flax (Adenolinum lewisi~) and American vetch (Vicia americans) averaged another third. The <br />remaining third was comprised of nine species. Introduced annual and biennial forbs contributed <br />9.8 percent of total vegetation cover. Twolobe speedwell (Pocilla 6iloba) was the dominant <br />species in this lifeform and contributed more than three-fifths to the total. The balance was <br />comprised of salsify (Tragopogon dubius ssp. major), prickly lettuce (Lactuca serriola), and Jim <br />Hill mustard (Sisymbrium altissimum). Introduced perennial grasses contributed 7.2 percent of <br />total vegetation cover. Orchard grass (Dactylis glomerata) contributed more than two-fifths of this <br />total. The balance was comprised of smooth brome (Bromopsis inermis), intermediate <br />wheatgrass (Thinopyrum intermedium), Russian wildrye (Psathyrostachys juncea), and meadow <br />• brome (Bromopsis riparius). Introduced perennial forbs averaged 3.9 percent of total vegetation <br />cover. Cicer milkvetch (Astragalus cicer) and alfalfa each contributed two-fifths of this total and <br />Canada thistle (Braes arvensis) comprised the balance. Native shrubs comprised 2.1 percent of <br />