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Cover was addressed in hypothesis testing as percent absolute all-hit herbaceous vegetation <br />• cover as adjusted for any contribution of noxious weeds, and excessive contribution by annual / <br />biennial species (CDMG 1995, Guidelines Regarding Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues, <br />1 (IV)A(4)). <br />Performance Standards for Herbaceous Production and Woody Plant Density <br />HERBACEOUS PRODUCTION: For purposes of comparison only, herbaceous production <br />performance standards were calculated in accordance with procedures contained in the Seneca <br />IIW permit. Aline that indicates 90 percent of this standard has been placed on Figures 1a and 2 <br />for informational purposes. At such time as bond release is formally sought, revegetation will be <br />considered successful for cover when mean cover for a band release block is at least 90% of the <br />calculated success standard or approved technical standard. <br />WOODY PLANT DENSITY: For purposes of comparisons in this document, general (background) <br />woody plant density at the Seneca IIW Mine is evaluated using a technical standard of 200 <br />shrubs per acre. Shrub concentration areas such as may be included in eventual bond release <br />blocks are judged by a standard of 2000 stems per acre. Shrub concentration areas were <br />sampled in 2006. <br />• Climatic Data <br />Precipitation data were collected at the Seneca IIW Mine during the period 1990 through 2006. <br />For years 1982 through ,1989, SCC provided precipitation data from the nearby Seneca II Mine. <br />Since the data record for Seneca II exists for only 25 years, the long term average (56 years) of <br />monthly precipitation data from the Western Regional Climate Center (WRCC) for the nearby <br />town of Hayden was used as an appropriate base for comparison. Information on degree-days <br />was based on temperature data from the met station 2 at the Seneca IIW Mine. <br />RESULTS <br />All numerical data are found in Tables 1-39 of Appendix 1. Data from sampling of cover, <br />production and background woody plant density are summarized in Tables 22- 25. Sample data <br />for cover, herbaceous production, and woody plant density are summarized in Table 22, and data <br />on species density by lifeform are summarized in Table 23. Data for relative cover by lifeform are <br />in Table 24. Statistical adequacy of sampling is tabulated in Table 25. A complete species list, <br />including reclaimed and reference areas, is in Table 26 in Appendix 2. -Data from sampling of <br />shrub concentration area blocks are included in Tables 27 through 39 in Appendix 3. Seed mixes <br />used in the reclamation areas are included, for reference, in Appendix 4. Photographs of <br />representative locations within the reclaimed areas sampled in 2006, as well as photographs of <br />• the Aspen, Mountain Brush, Sagebrush/ Snowberry, Steep Mountain Brush, and Western <br />Wheatgrass/Alkali Sagebrush reference areas, are included in Appendix 5. Graphic depiction of <br />vegetation and climate data are presented in Figures 1-10. <br />7 <br />