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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />• Quantitative sampling of the 2002 and 2006 reclamation areas at the Coors Energy Company <br />Keenesburg Mine was conducted in August 2009. Vegetation cover, total herbaceous <br />production, and species composition were sampled. Comparisons were made between total <br />vegetation cover and total herbaceous production means from the reclamation areas and <br />predicted values calculated from the approved equations based on on-site precipitation from <br />September 2008 to July 2009. These predictive equations establish the final revegetation <br />success criteria for total vegetation cover and total herbaceous production for the mine. All <br />reclamation areas monitored in 2009 exceeded the predicted value of 35.69 percent total <br />vegetation cover. As with total vegetation cover, all reclamation areas exceeded the <br />predicted total herbaceous production criterion of 135.07 grams/square meter. Species <br />composition of the reclamation areas was also evaluated from a final success criterion <br />perspective. This year, neither the 2002 or the 2006 reclamation areas met the species <br />composition final success criterion. Both lacked adequate cover by qualifying warm season <br />graminoids, and a cool season graminoid in the case of the 2002 reclamation. Quarterly <br />inspections of the reclamation areas were conducted during 2009 to assess the presence and <br />impacts of pests, noxious weeds, or disease to the revegetation. No pests, noxious weeds or <br />diseases were identified during the 2009 inspections that negatively impacted the <br />revegetation efforts. <br />1.0 INTRODUCTION <br />• This report presents the results of the annual revegetation monitoring and pest and disease <br />inspections for the Keenesburg Mine (Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />permit C-1981-028) owned by Coors Energy Company. Quantitative information in this <br />report addresses the vegetative condition of the 2002 and 2006 reclamation areas at the mine. <br />Vegetative sampling is required by the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety <br />(CDRMS) as part of ongoing reclamation monitoring. Vegetation sampling was performed <br />in compliance with Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board Surface Coal Mining Rules <br />2.04. 10 and 4.15 at the time of sampling and current botanical and plant ecological methods. <br />Field sampling for the areas monitored was conducted between August 5 and 6, 2009 by <br />Savage and Savage, Inc. biologists. <br />The Keenesburg Mine is located in Weld County, Colorado, approximately seven (7) miles <br />north of Keenesburg, Colorado and is accessed by Weld County Road 59. Coors Energy <br />Company operated the Keenesburg Mine for coal extraction from 1980 to 1988. Reclaimed <br />areas sampled in 2009 were backfilled, graded, topsoiled and revegetated in accordance with <br />the approved mining and reclamation plan. The revegetation standards used to evaluate these <br />areas are those currently in effect under the Colorado Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act <br />(CRS 34-33-101 et seq) and the Keenesburg Mining and Reclamation Permit (C-1981-028). <br />• <br />Coors Energy Company KeenesWrg Mine Page 5 <br />2009 Revegetation Monitoring Report