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The approach to re- establishment of the functional potential of woody plants in the vegetation <br />of the reclaimed site is as follows: <br />1) Shrubs are planted as part of the general mix across the entire reclaimed surface. The <br />presence of shrubs at a basic, background level (200 stems per acre) will maintain the <br />opportunity for further shrub proliferation when conditions allow; <br />2) Development of shrubs on the reclaimed surface can be expected to be heterogeneous with <br />planted seed and naturally dispersed seed developing in patch -like fashion. Experience on <br />older sites such as the Seneca II Mine has shown that this cannot be predicted. Naturally <br />developed (unfenced) shrub concentration areas can be expected to be largely sagebrush <br />and snowberry along with varying amounts of competition and browsing- dwarfed tall <br />shrubs; <br />3) Within fenced planting areas, tall shrubs as well as trees will have the chance to achieve <br />full stature, providing values of cover and more importantly seed production and dispersal. <br />These islands of tall shrub presence provide on -going potential for proliferation of tall <br />shrubs across the reclamation surface as future conditions allow. The heterogeneous <br />patterns of life form will benefit wildlife habitat needs by providing cover in a mosaic <br />fashion that offers frequent transition from tall to short and woody to herbaceous enhancing <br />the so- called "edge effect." As this heterogeneity develops, the current dominance of <br />herbaceous cover will continue to provide substantial foraging resources that are relatively <br />scarce in the general area so heavily occupied by thick woody cover. <br />SCC proposes five woody plant density standards, one mandatory standard for the overall <br />reclaimed land and four other (secondary) standards for the concentrated shrub /tree <br />establishment sites of which three must be satisfied <br />• Mandatory Shrub Standard - -- Overall, non - fenced, reclaimed land - - - -- 200 stems per acre <br />• Secondary Standard No.1 - -- Volunteer (plus remnants of planting) shrub concentrations <br />(outside fences) - - - -- 1000 stems per acre on at least 10% of the unfenced acreage. <br />• Secondary Standard No.2 - -- Woody plant establishment areas, upland, fenced - - -- 850 <br />woody stems /acre average. <br />• Secondary Standard No.3 -- -Woody plant establishment areas, riparian, fenced, non- <br />fenced - - -- 850 woody stems /acre average, riparian areas will contain at least 150 stems /acre <br />0 of tree or tall shrub species. <br />TR -48 47 06/10 <br />