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• INTRODUCTION <br />In August 2001, ESCO Associates Inc. was contracted by Kennecott Energy to <br />undertake vegetation monitoring of selected reclaimed areas at the Colowyo mine, <br />located south west of Craig, Colorado. The purpose of this monitoring was to provide <br />Kennecott Energy with an assessment of vegetation cover, species diversity and woody <br />plant density on reclaimed lands at the Colowyo mine in accordance with monitoring <br />requirements included in the mine permit documents (C-81-019, Sec. 4.15.1(4)). These <br />requirements include 1) the acquisition of frequency (converted to density) information <br />from seeded areas during their first year and 2) cover, woody plant density, and species <br />diversity information on reclamation areas two and four years after seeding. <br />METHODS <br />Seedling Density via Freguency on Newly Seeded Areas <br />Seedling Density information was derived from frequency data collected in the East and <br />West Pits both seeded in 2000 (See Maps 1 and 2). This method follows the same <br />• method used at the mine for several years prior to this monitoring, apparently based on <br />a method devised by D.N. Hyder of Colorado State University. Each species present in <br />250 systematically located 0.36 mZ plots was recorded. Frequency data calculated from <br />the 250 plots was then used to produce values for seedling density and frequency in the <br />2000 reclamation areas using a conversion table (Appendix A). <br />Location of Samples in the Two- and Four-year Old Areas <br />Sample locations for the collection of cover, woody plant density, and species diversity <br />data were randomly located in the 1999 and 1997 seeded areas in the East Pit, West <br />Pit, and Section 16 mining areas (Maps 3 through 8). Random points were selected by <br />computer (ArcView 3.2a; Avenue-based random point generator subprogram). <br />Cover Samolinp <br />At each sample site, cover data were collected using aCover-Point Optical Point <br />Projection Device. This devices uses the point-intercept method in which data are <br />tabulated as interceptions of a very fine and rigidly projected point with plant species, <br />bare ground, litter, standing dead, or rock. Sampling occurred along randomly located <br />• and randomly oriented 50m transects. Along each transect, 100 paints were <br />1 <br />