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slight differential settling has occurred with time; a few rocks (too small to be mechanically <br />"rock picked") were sparsely scattered on the ground surface. The vegetation on the property <br />appears to be uniform. A test hole was dug to verify the topsoil thickness. It was measured <br />to be at least 18", the required amount of topsoil replacement for that area. <br />• Area 6 supports an IP postmining land use. It was seeded more recently than the other IP <br />areas, and thus produces a higher percentage of alfalfa. The second cutting had not yet <br />occurred. <br />Appendix B of the SL-11 application contains a report entitled "2007 Vegetation Sampling for <br />Phase 2 Bond Release: Irrigated Pasture and Dryland Pasture". Vegetation cover data was <br />collected by Bio-Logic Environmental from June 4 - June 22, 2007. Although not necessary for <br />Phase 11, Bio-logic also collected production data and included data for a proposed irrigated <br />pasture reference area. Because the irrigated pasture reference area had not been approved by <br />the Division when the SL-11 application was submitted, the approved technical standard of <br />71.8% cover applies to the irrigated pasture for the SL-11 application. <br />Irrigated pasture covers 238.8 acres of the requested Phase II area and dryland pasture covers <br />61.2 acres. Cover data was collected using a point frame at randomly selected locations within <br />the irrigated pasture reclaimed area, the dryland pasture reclaimed area and the dryland pasture <br />reference area. Samples were taken until sample adequacy was achieved or a minimum of 15 <br />samples were collected. Sample adequacy was achieved in each unit. <br />Cover in the reclaimed irrigated pasture was 85.3%. The dominant species were Meadow brome <br />(BRBI), alfalfa (MESA) and Orchardgrass (DAGL). These species are typical of irrigated <br />pastures and were included in the seed mix. Perennial grasses contributed 57.6% of the total <br />cover or 67.3% of the relative cover, and perennial forbs contributed 27.7% total cover or 32.4 % <br />of the relative cover. No problems were observed with noxious weeds, annual forbs or grasses, <br />or biennial species in the reclaimed irrigated pasture. <br />The vegetation standard for the irrigated pasture is 71.8% vegetative cover. The reclaimed area <br />is well above this standard and therefore, the reclaimed irrigated pasture is considered successful <br />for the Phase II bond release. <br />Total vegetative cover in the dryland pasture reclaimed area was 35.2%. Composition, based on <br />relative cover, in the reclaimed dryland pasture was: 2.3% annual grass, 27.6% annual forbs, <br />43.8% perennial grass, and 26.4% perennial forbs. The dominant species were Russian wildrye <br />at 11.1% total cover (31.5% relative cover), alfalfa at 9.3% total cover (26.4% relative cover), <br />Redstem filaree at 7.3% total cover (20.7% relative cover) and intermediate wheatgrass at 2.9% <br />total cover (8.2% relative cover). No noxious weeds were identified by the applicant or <br />consultant; however redstem filaree is on the State's Noxious Weed List B. The Division's Bond <br />Release Guideline sets forth the following policy, "The allowable relative cover of annual and <br />biennial species should not exceed 10 percent, or the relative cover of such species in the <br />associated reference area or approved technical standard." <br />11