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<br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br />1 <br />CONCLUSIONS <br />Woody Plant Density <br />As summarized above in Table 3, woody plant density was examined on each of the four <br />Reclaimed Areas and on the Reference Area in 1993. Table 11 (found in the data Appendix at <br />the end of this report) presents the results of the 1990 woody plant density sampling. Mean <br />number of stems per acre on Areas I, II, and III was determined to be 131 in 1490 verses 249 <br />in 1993 which represents approximately 100 percent increase. Mean number of stems per acre <br />on Area IV was determined to be 87 in 1990 verses 607 in 1993 which represents asix-fold <br />increase in shrub density. <br />These increases indicate that the 1991 seeding has had a positive effect on shrub density. <br />However, these numbers do not meet the density standard of 2,000 stems per acre. It would <br />appear that the limited seeding success in Areas I, II, and III was due to the well established <br />cool season grass community and residual wood mulch cover which was applied following <br />reclamation. It is Slurco's opinion that it will be difficult and costly to establish woody plants <br />with these conditions unless extreme measures such as tilling strips of grass and planting shrubs <br />is conducted. Also, these extensive measures seem fruitless since neither of the land owners of <br />the property are interested in shrub cover for the post mining land use. As a result, Slurco <br />requests a meeting with the Division to discuss this problem and determine appropriate actions. <br />Phase II Cover Standards <br />Before the Division will grant Phase II bond release on Reclaimed Area IV, the area must <br />achieve a vegetative cover of at least ninety percent of the vegetative cover sampled in the <br />Reference Area. This criteria, as of July 1993, remains unsatisfied. In fact, the data collected <br />during sampling in 1993 implies that the total vegetative cover for each area is moving away <br />from the ninety percent comparative cover standard (changing from 79.7% in 1990 to 73.9% <br />in 1993). This data is displayed in Table 4 below. <br />7 <br />1 <br />