2009-03-16_REVISION - C1981028 (4)

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Of these species, Bouteloua gracilis, Calamovilfa longifolia, Bouteloua curtipendula, and Andropogon hallii are qualifying warm season graminoids and Bromus marginatus, • Sporobolus cryptandrus, and Agropyron smithii are qualifying cool season graminoids. 4.0 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS 4.1 VEGETATION COVER Both the 1985, 1986, and 1987 reclamation areas and the 1995 and 1997 reclamation areas exceeded the final revegetation success criterion value (36.45%) for total vegetation cover. The 1985, 1986, and 1987 reclamation areas had a mean total vegetation cover of 60.80 percent and the 1995 and 1997 reclamation areas had a mean total vegetation cover of 61.40 percent. The first year of quantitative vegetation cover sampling for Phase III bond and liability release reveals that the requirement for vegetation cover has been met. 4.2 HERBACEOUS PRODUCTION The 1985, 1986, and 1987 reclamation areas and the 1995 and 1997 reclamation areas exceeded the final revegetation success criterion value (165.33 g/m2) for total herbaceous production. The 1985, 1986, and 1987 reclamation areas had a mean total herbaceous production of 239.46 g/m2 and the 1995 and 1997 reclamation areas had a mean total herbaceous production of 229.27 g/m2. The first year of quantitative vegetation cover • sampling for Phase III bond and liability release reveals that the requirement for total herbaceous production has been met. 4.3 SPECIES COMPOSITION The species composition standard requires that there be at least four perennial species, of which three are warm season grasses and one a cool season grass. No one component of the above four species should comprise greater than 40% relative importance nor less than 3% relative importance. Relative importance will be measured by calculating relative cover of the revegetation species. Vegetation species which may be used in the calculation of species composition may be any plant species not defined as a noxious or prohibited plant species, and may be native or introduced. Both the 1985, 1986, and 1987 reclamation areas and the 1995 and 1997 reclamation areas satisfied the final species composition revegetation criteria. The 1985, 1986, and 1987 reclamation areas had seven qualifying perennial species, three qualifying warm season graminoids and three qualifying cool season graminoids. The 1995 and 1997 reclamation areas had eight qualifying perennial species, four qualifying warm season graminoids and three qualifying cool season graminoids. The first year of quantitative vegetation cover sampling for Phase III bond and liability release reveals that the reclamation areas have exceeded the final revegetation success requirements for species composition. C? J Coors Energy Company Keenesburg Mine Page 14 2007 Phase III Vegetation Study