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Golden Eagle Mine <br />Phase III Revegetation Findings <br />Page 2 <br /> % Cover Production <br />lbs/acre <br /> <br />2005 Irrigated Pasture Reclaimed Area 39.9 1822 <br />2005 Irrigated Past. AVF Reference Area 36.5 2018 <br />90% of Production Standard 1816 <br /> <br />2005 Reclaimed Rangeland 28.0 1177 <br />2005 Rangeland Reference Area 19.7 356 <br /> <br />2006 Irrigated Pasture Reclaimed Area 20.9 496 <br />2006 Irrigated Past. AVF Reference Area 19.5 333 <br /> <br />2006 Reclaimed Rangeland 14.5 218 <br />2006 Rangeland Reference Area 12.8 31 <br />2005 Data <br />The 2005 cover data was collected using 15 randomly located 25 meter-long transects in each of <br />the sampling units: the reclaimed pasture, the pasture reference area, the reclaimed rangeland <br />and the rangeland reference area. Two ocular cover points were collected at each meter <br />perpendicular to the transect, in each direction, for a total of 50 points. Sample adequacy for <br />vegetative cover was achieved in all four sampling units. <br />Vegetative cover on the pastureland reclaimed area (39.9%) exceeded the cover on the <br />pastureland reference area (36.5%). The reclaimed rangeland cover (32.5%) far exceeded the <br />cover on the rangeland reference area (19.7%). Cover in the reclaimed rangeland community is <br />successful. <br />Production data was collected in 2005 using 0.1 meter square plots. Six plots were placed along <br />each of the fifteen 25 m transects. The 2005 production data for the AVF reclaimed and <br />reference areas did achieve sample adequacy based on the Division's recommended sample size <br />adequacy formula, and quadrats were appropriately treated as subsamples. The reclaimed <br />sample mean (1822 lbs/acre) exceeded 90% of the reference area sample mean (1816 lbs/acre). <br />A statistically valid demonstration of success was made for the 2005 pasture land production <br />data. <br />In contrast to the AVF area, statistical sample adequacy was not demonstrated for the 2005 <br />rangeland production data in either the reference area or the reclaimed area. Due to the sample <br />adequacy problem, the consultant chose to define individual quadrats as sample observations, <br />even though they were arranged as groups of 6 quadrats along 15 transects. Based on this <br />terminology, 90 sample observations were tallied, rather than 15. Still, sample adequacy was not <br />achieved in either the reference area or the reclaimed area.