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EXHIBIT 5 <br />VEGETATION SAMPLING <br />The specific sampling methodologies used in this evaluation are those found in the Division's <br />"Guidelines with Land Use and Vegetation Requirements of the Colorado Mined Land <br />Reclamation Board for Coal Mining" issued in June of 1988, the undated "Guideline for the <br />Management of Noxious Weeds on Coal Mine Permit Areas, and the "Guidelines Regarding <br />Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues" issued April 18, 1995. In addition, the existing <br />regulation formally adopted September 14, 2005 by the Colorado Division of Minerals and <br />Geology (DMG) now the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety ( CDRMS) as <br />Section 4.15.11 and corresponding documents were used with respect to sample adequacy <br />calculations and statistical comparisons. <br />A detailed delineation of the vegetation types found within the proposed CAM - Colorado LLC - <br />Unit Train Load Permit Area is shown on Map 3, Permit Area Vegetation Map. This map was <br />prepared, using detailed aerial photography of the site with a map scale of one inch equals 200 <br />feet and corresponds to a topographic map with two -foot contour intervals. This orthophoto <br />shows the extent of all vegetation types to be affected within the proposed unit train loadout <br />area, as well as the location of each vegetation sample transect location used to evaluate plant <br />cover, herbaceous production as well as shrub density. The vegetation boundaries of all lands <br />located within one -half mile of the proposed Unit Train Loadout permit area are shown on Map <br />• 4, Adjacent Area Vegetation Map. <br />Prior to commencing the field sampling efforts and during the preparation of this baseline <br />vegetation monitoring report, the vegetation sampling requirements found in Sections 2.04. 10 <br />and 4.15.11 of the CDRMS regulations were carefully reviewed and discussed in a <br />consultation meeting with Mr. Dan Mathews of the Division regarding the proposed sampling <br />methods and data analysis methods to be used. Written agreement on the sampling <br />methodology used in this evaluation as well as a proper understanding of the recently enacted <br />regulatory amendments was obtained from the CDRMS via e-mail prior to initiating field <br />sampling. In this evaluation, the vegetation parameters of production, plant cover, species <br />diversity and shrub density were sampled. It is anticipated that these vegetation sampling <br />efforts will be ultimately useful in the evaluation of the successfulness of revegetation efforts <br />with respect to plant cover, herbaceous forage production, species diversity, and shrub density. <br />Transect Locations. To ensure that all of the areas within the predisturbance vegetation types <br />and Greasewood reference area being evaluated had an equal chance of being sampled, each <br />vegetation type, often consisting of multiple polygons, was treated as a single sample unit and a <br />totally randomized sampling effort was implemented. Utilizing the existing topographic maps <br />of this site, the extreme north, south, east and west boundaries of each vegetation site sampled <br />were converted to the 1927 Colorado State Plane - Central Zone (NAD 27) coordinate system. <br />The interval used in the state plane coordinate system is based on foot increments. Given the <br />typical real -time accuracy of our GPS unit of plus or minus one meter, all of the vegetation <br />boundaries and sample transect locations were field located at a sub -meter accuracy. <br />• <br />