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INTRODUCTION li Quantitative sampling of reclaimed areas at Seneca Coal Company's (SCC) Seneca IIW Mine was undertaken in July 2006 by ESCO Associates to facilitate SCC's continued monitoring of the progress of these areas in relation to revegetation performance standards. Methods, sample areas, and sample sizes were those specified by SCC. METHODS Reclamation Units and Sampling Locations The reclamation units sampled for purposes of interim monitoring at the Seneca IIW Mine in 2006 are shown on Map 1, "2006 Reclaimed Area Monitoring Locations". For purposes of interim monitoring, 1999, 2002, and 2004 reclamation areas were sampled in 2006. In addition, separate sampling of all areas reclaimed prior to 2005 was conducted for purposes of collecting information to be used in assessment of satisfaction of Phase II bond release criteria (Map 4). Extended Reference Area Sampling The Aspen, Mountain Brush, Sagebrush/Snowberry, Steep Mountain Brush, and Western Wheatgrass/Alkali Sagebrush Extended Reference Areas were sampled to provide data for comparison with reclaimed area data. Reference Area sampling locations are shown on Map 3, "2006 Extended Reference Area Monitoring Locations". Cover Sampling Cover data were collected along 50 m transects using apoint-intercept method in which data were recorded as interceptions of a point with plant species, litter, standing dead plant material, soil, or rock. Plant material produced during 2006 and still standing was tallied by species. Litter was considered to be any organic material that had fallen, or had begun to fall to the soil surface. Standing dead was any dead plant material that was produced in previous years but which was still standing and had not lodged or broken off to become litter. Inorganic materials greater than 1 cm in diameter were considered rock. The cover sampling points were optically projected using a Cover-Point Optical Point Projection Device developed by ESCO Associates. The 50 m transects were randomly located and oriented in the reclaimed and reference areas. One hundred points were collected at each transect and distributed evenly along the transect. A pair of points were cbllected at each meter mark with points sampled on opposite sides of the transect 0.5 m from the transect. First hit interceptions were used to calculate absolute top layer foliar cover (see COVER column in data tables) by dividing the number of interceptions for a particular species, or ground cover type by the total number of points taken (100). First hit relative vegetation cover was calculated by dividing first hit absolute cover for each species by the total first hit vegetation cover. All-layer 1