2008-03-03_PERMIT FILE - C2006085 ‎(14)‎

• Permit No: C2006085
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/3/2008
• Doc Name: Baseline Vegetation Data by Kent Crofts of IME
• Section_Exhibit Name: Exhibit J
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

• unit and the transect location starting points were marked in the field. At each transect location.
starting point, the hansect direction was determined by selecting a random direction based on the
degrees of the compass (0 to 360.Once the transcct orientation was determined, then the 50-
meter tape was laid out across the site. All transects were kept within the sample unit boundaries.
In situations where the transect placement resulted in the transect alignment crossing a sample
unit boundary, the transect line was backed up for that portion of which crossed the boundary
line 180 degrees. Where the 50-meter tape could not be placed within a narrow reclaimed area
due to boundary constraints, then the transact line was changed 90 degrees at the point where the
boundary line was crossed to ensure that the entire transact alignment was located within the
area to be sampled.
Plant Cover. Plant cover was evaluated by sampling along an outstretched 50-meter transact
tape. Along the outstretched tape, a total often previously identified and randomly selected
intervals were selected as the sample locations for sampling. These ten points were then used as
the sample locations for collecting plant cover. At each designated sample point, an inclined
metal ten-point frame, one meter in height was positioned perpendicular to the tape and a
sharpened metal rod was dropped. Each sampling point was sampled at ten-centimeter intervals
along the ten-point flame. Even numbers wen sampled on the right-hand side of the tape and
odd numbers were sampled on the left-hand side of the tape.
Each observation. was recorded as to the specific plant species encountered as the sharpened rod
was dropped. If no plant cover was encountered, then the observation was recorded as to the
presence of plant litter, rock, bare ground, lichens or cryptograms. Plant material produced in the
• 2007 growing season which was still attached to the plant was considered as living plant material
and all plant material produced in prior years or which had fallen to the ground during the
current yeaz was considered to be litter. The 100 data points collected along each transact were
then summarized into a single datum for proposes of statistical analysis. Absolute and relative
plant cover, species diversity, and plant life forms were determined based upon the observations
collected in sampling the plant cover.
As proposed in the Northfield Mine Project Permit Application, the plant cover standard at the
Northfield Mine is based on an allowable cover standard, which means that all plant cover
excluding annual and biennial plant and listed noxious weeds are sampled but are not counted
towazd the cover standard.
Production. All of the proposed minedishubance blocks and reference areas were sampled,
using a simple random statistical sampling approach where all production transact locations were
randomly located within the appropriate sample unit and along each transact, a total of three
randomly located circular one-quarter squaze meter plots were clipped. The three plots were
clipped by life forms for perennial grasses and perennial fortis. As found in the requirements of
Section 4.15.11, shrubs, annuals and noxious weeds were not clipped, since they cannot count
toward the proposed n;vegetation success standard. This was the same transact used for cover
and shrub density sampling. The three clip plots were then averaged into a single transact datum
for purposes of statistical analysis.
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