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Rio Tinto Energy America <br />Colowyo Coal Company, L.P. <br />Colowyo Mine <br />2008 REVEGETATION MONITORING REPORT <br />REVEGETATION UNITS: REFERENCE AREAS: <br />EP038 SECTION 16 -YEAR 12 SAGEBRUSH <br />EP047 SECTION 16 - YEARS 13, 14, & 15 MOUNTAIN SHRUB <br />WP009 WP010 WP011 <br />1.0 INTRODUCTION <br />Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. (Cedar Creek) was contracted in 2008 by Colowyo Coal Company <br />(Colowyo) to implement a vegetation monitoring program within selected revegetated units at the <br />Colowyo Mine. Monitoring was performed in the interest of ascertaining progress toward revegetation <br />success in general accordance with Rule 3.03, Release of Performance Bonds. The revegetated areas <br />evaluated in 2008 consisted of 7 total units ranging in size from 0.9 acres to 163.7 acres. Section 16 <br />units over 10 years of age were combined to make logical units as they progress towards bond release. <br />At the time of sampling, revegetation within evaluated units had experienced at least seven growing <br />seasons following completion of seeding with one unit experiencing its first growing season. In addition, <br />two reference areas (Mountain Shrub - 1980 and Sagebrush - 1981) were sampled to provide cover and <br />production comparison values to facilitate an evaluation of progress toward success for the reclaimed <br />units. Mountain Shrub reference area data are weighted 55% whereas the Sagebrush reference area <br />data are weighted 45% for this comparison for the original permitted operations at Colowyo. The <br />location of each unit and reference area evaluated in 2008 is indicated on Map 1 and the sample points <br />within each area are provided on "in-text" maps for each unit in Section 2.0. <br />- Field sampling for the directly measurable variables of ground cover, current annual production, <br />- seedling density (1-year-old units), and woody plant density was systematically conducted within all <br />- designated units from July 27th through August 2"d, 2008. The growing season prior to and during the <br />- sampling period could be qualitatively characterized as above average with regard to precipitation. <br />• Sampling occurred immediately following the peak of growth in July. Field efforts in 2008 were <br />Rio Tinto Energy America/Colowyo Mine Page 1 Revegetation Monitoring - 2008