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Irrigated Pasture Success Standards <br />Prior to TR -58 in August of 2008, the success of irrigated pasture was based on the following <br />items: <br />Production (1.5 tons per acre first cutting) <br />A production standard was set at 1.5 tons per acre based on the 1s' cutting average of three <br />farmers in the area (Mel Staats, Frank Morgan and Zene Weimer) that surround the NH2 tmine. <br />Their 1 st cutting production figures data in irrigated pasture fields (See Attachment 2.05.4(2)(e) -3). <br />Cover <br />The success standard for cover is based on the level of premining ground cover (live vegetation) <br />determined from the 1987 and 1999 baseline studies conducted within the New Horizon 2 study <br />area (see Section 2.04.10). The average live vegetation cover determined from the 1987 study <br />was 71.8 percent. In 1999 the average live vegetation cover was 76.8 percent. Since 1999 was <br />a very wet year, the 1987 data was used as cover standard. Therefore, cover for all irrigated <br />pasture was to be deemed adequate if the reclaimed areas considered for bond release had a <br />cover of 90% of 71.8 %, with a 90% statistical confidence. <br />These standards are flawed for the following reasons: a) the farmers based their production data <br />on areas that are outside the permit and have better soils, b) The production data was based on <br />areas that are not primarily south facing, as is the majority of the mine reclaimed irrigated pasture <br />area, c) it is not scientific, d) it does not take into account the same management, e) the cover data <br />is based on only one year of data, f) the cover and production data does not consider any soil type <br />fluctuations, which are quite substantial in the reclaimed areas, and f) it does not take into account <br />fluctuations in the yearly changes in climatic conditions and in the timing of the irrigation. <br />As can be seen in Table 2.05.4(2)(e) -4, all local farmers harvest their irrigated fields one time <br />during the year. There are a few farmers that attempt a second and third cutting but the majority <br />of the production from the 1 st cutting. It needs to be emphasized that these measurements <br />Revised April /09 TR58 2.05.4(2)(e) -19B <br />-A'C - 66 <br />Apps o-61 <br />f3m ay&a <br />