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Summary and Conclusion - Based upon a review of the mine permit, the approved reclamation plan, the <br />bond release application and the site inspection, the Division finds that KCC has successfully <br />demonstrated that the 720 Pit has adequate vegetative cover, herbaceous productivity, species <br />composition, and woody plant density. No gullies or other erosional features were observed with the <br />exception of a small area immediately north of Pond A. A gully had formed along a slope where a <br />contour furrow had breached. KCC repaired the gully and contour furrow in 2007 as a normal husbandry <br />practice prior to the bond release inspection. Pond A is approved to remain as a permanent structure and <br />is in good condition, holds water throughout the summer, and has minimal sediment in the pond bottom. <br />Marr Pit Phase III <br />Phase I Bond Release was approved for the Marr Pit with SL3 on February 2, 2002. The Marr Pit <br />encompasses 96.5 acres, and was reclaimed between 1970 and 1983. No-bond had been submitted <br />specifically for the Marr Pit area. Therefore, SL3 approved liability release only, and no monies were <br />released for the Marr Pit. The post-mining land use for the Marr Pit area is the same as that of the rest of <br />the Marr Mine site of rangeland and wildlife habitat. <br />Vegetative Cover-KCC conducted vegetation sampling in 2005 and 2006. Two reference areas, Alkali <br />sage and Big sage, and the reclaimed area were sampled to adequacy. The third reference area (Sage- <br />gravel) was not sampled since no mining disturbance had occurred in the Sage-gravel community. <br />Ninety-percent of the acreage-weighted mean for 2005 reference area sampling was 31.7% cover, and <br />28.4% for 2006 reference area sampling. The mean vegetative cover measured on the Marr Pit area in <br />2005 was 39.2% and 39.3% in 2006. For both sampling years, the vegetative cover on the reclaimed Marr <br />Pit exceeded the vegetative cover measured on the reference areas. <br />Productivity- Vegetative productivity was measured on the reclaimed Marr Pit area and the reference <br />areas. The data from the reference areas were averaged using acreage weighted proportions. Ninety <br />percent of the weighted mean vegetative production measured on the reference areas was 7.4 g/1/4 M2 <br />(264.0 lbs/acre) in 2005 and 6.11 g/1/4 M2 (218 lbs/acre) in 2006. Vegetative production measured on the <br />reclaimed Marr Pit was 28.6 g/1/4 M2 (10201bs/acre) in 2005 and 22.1 g/1/4 M2 (788.8 lbs/acre) in 2006. <br />The vegetative productivity on the reclaimed area exceeds the productivity standard more than three-fold. <br />Woody Plant Density-The Marr Mine has a woody plant densit? standard of 1500 stems per acre (37.07 <br />stems/ 100 M2). The 2005 sampling counted 65.27 stems/ 100 M , and the 2006 sampling measured 59.27 <br />stems/ 100 M2. Both 2005 and 2006 sampling events on the Marr Pit area exceeded the required woody <br />plant density standard. <br />Species Diversity- The species diversity standard for the Marr Mine requires that the relative cover of the <br />top four plant species not exceed 83% relative cover, and no one species shall exceed 40% relative cover. <br />The life form of one of the top four species needs to be a perennial forb or a shrub. On the Marr Pit area <br />sampling in 2005, the top four specie comprised 59.89% relative cover, with no one species exceeding <br />40% relative cover. The species contributing the greatest percentage of relative cover in 2005 was Sheep <br />fescue (Festuca ovina) with 29.42% relative cover. Big sagebrush at 11.93% relative cover had the third <br />highest cover value of the 38 species encountered during the 2005 sampling. The 2006 sampling <br />measured the four dominant species as contributing 59.89% relative cover. The species measured with the <br />Marr Mine SL4 11