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• Secondary Standard No. 4 - -- Woody plant establishment area, with aspen, fenced - - -- 850 <br />woody stems /acre (of which 150 stems /acre will be aspen). <br />(See Exhibit 22 -IA for the locations and designations of woody plant concentration sites.) <br />Woody plant density success will be evaluated on the basis of the performance standards <br />above. As per CDRMS suggestion, it is requested that the overall woody plant density <br />standard for the Yoast Mine will be 200 stems per acre. There are six (6) fenced shrub plots <br />(concentrated woody plant establishment sites) shown on Exhibit 22 -1A, Postmine Vegetation <br />Map. These fenced plots contain a variety of woody plant species, including aspen. In the two <br />(2) plots specifically identified as concentrated aspen and shrub sites the density standard will <br />be 850 stems per acre of woody stems of which 150 will be aspen. In the three (3) fenced plots <br />identified as upland woody plant sites the density standard will be 850 woody plants per acre. <br />The standard for the two (2) riparian sites will be 850 woody riparian species per acre of <br />which at least 150 stems /acre will be tree species. The standard for the remaining (2) upland <br />woody plant sites which are not fenced will be 850 woody stems /acre. Outside the bounds of <br />• the fenced plantings, woody plant development will be assessed in extent upon the occasion of <br />Phase III bond release testing. The commitment is that areas with an average of at least 1000 <br />stems per acre will comprise at least 10 percent of the area outside fenced plantings at the <br />Yoast Mine. <br />Aspen is a specific species of concern, therefore within the shrub/ tree establishment plots; <br />SCC has chosen two (2) locations for aspen planting. Within these specific aspen plots 150 <br />aspens per acre will be the success standard for aspen specifically. These success standards <br />may not reflect the ultimate goal of the reclaimed ecosystem yet the plants will be in place for <br />successional processes to eventually return the land to a sustainable and balanced plant <br />community. Based on the 2009 Musselman Report, The Use of Landscape Fabric and <br />Supplemental Irrigation to Enhance Survival and Growth of Woody Perennials Planted on <br />Reclaimed Surface Mine Lands, SCC presents the following justification for establishing a <br />density standard for aspen and woody plants within the designated planting areas. <br />The study recommended a planting density of 5'x5' or 25 sq ft which would result in a per acre <br />planting density of 1740 stems per acre. This is a realistic planting rate when mortality is <br />considered. All woody stems, which include aspens, will be planted at the 1740 /acre rate <br />TR -48 48 06/10 <br />