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BTU EC's approved reclamation plan calls for reclaiming the surface disturbed areas to <br />the following four post-mining land uses: rangeland/wildlife habitat, cropland, and <br />pastureland. The Division has previously approved a revegetation plan and revegetation <br />success standards. <br />Revegetation success for cover and production in the Williams Fork Strip Pit will be <br />verified by making a statistical comparison between the rangeland reference area and <br />the reclaimed area. Woody plant density will be a minimum of 1,000 stems per acre, <br />and species diversity will be calculated based upon relative vegetation cover. On areas <br />of the strip pit which had been disturbed prior to May 3, 1978, the standard will be a <br />vegetative cover of 30 percent or greater (based on vegetation sampling of this area <br />prior to redisturbance). In addition to this standard, a letter from the local NRCS <br />(formerly SCS) office or other acceptable reclamation experts stating, "The revegetated <br />areas are capable of being utilized per their post-mining land use," will serve as <br />documentation that the area has been successfully revegetated. <br />Reclamation success standards for the cropland and haylands are based on five years of <br />historical production data shown in Tables 69 and 70. The area will be judged <br />successfully reclaimed when it reaches 90 percent of the historic production record, with <br />a 90 percent statistical confidence. <br />Many areas of surface disturbance within the Eagle Mine Complex permit area were <br />disturbed by operations previous to the currently permitted Eagle No. 5 and 9 Mine <br />workings. Pursuant to Rule 4.15.10, standards in previously mined areas shall not be <br />less than the minimum ground cover existing before redisturbance. Areas which fall <br />under this category are shown on Reclamation Plan Map No. 29. These areas will be <br />deemed successfully revegetated when the cover of perennial species on these areas is <br />30 percent or greater. This is based on the cover data obtained during the 1983 <br />sampling period on a previously disturbed area near the No. 5A Portal and an old <br />reclaimed surface mine. The survey data are given in Section 2.04 of the permit <br />application. <br />On the remainder of the permit area, including the waste disposal area, and all areas not <br />under cropland, hayland, or previously disturbed areas (before May 3, 1978), the <br />Division, with one exception, has approved utilizing a reference area methodology for <br />determining revegetation success. Herbaceous cover and production of the reclaimed <br />areas will be compared to the reference areas. Species diversity standards vary <br />depending on post-mining land use as set forth in Section 2.05 of the permit application. <br />The shrub standard on these areas will be 1,000 shrub stems per acre. <br />The one exception where the Division has not approved use of a reference area is the <br />No. 9 portal area (pastureland reference area D). BTU EC has not submitted acceptable <br />baseline data for Reference Area D (for cover, production„ and species diversity, as <br />required by Section 2.04.10). <br />Previously, Stipulation No. 10 had been attached to the permit requiring BTU EC to <br />provide baseline data for Reference Area D. BTU EC sampled and provided results of <br />the dryland pasture sampling in 2001. The sample data indicated that cover and <br />Eagle Mine Complex 31 Permit Renewal 05 <br />C-1981-044 May 22, 2009