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Accordingly, Seed Mix No. 5 contains only native shrub species. Seneca Coal <br />Company will use mechanical or chemical means to reduce herbaceous plants <br />within the concentrated shrub areas until such a time that the shrubs are <br />determined to be able to compete. <br />Seneca Coal Company proposed to stabilize soil prior to permanent vegetation <br />establishment through the planting of a cover crop. Either an annual grain or a <br />sterile grass hybrid (Agropyron x Triticum) was be used. Straw mulch was also <br />used in lieu of a cover crop at a rate of 2000 lbs. per acre and crimped or secured <br />with a tackifier. This meets the requirement of Rule 4.15.4. <br />Reclamation Success Standards <br />The Division previously approved Seneca Coal Company's plan to determine <br />revegetation success for cover and production through the use of reference areas <br />in compliance with Rule 4.15.7. Seneca Coal Company will utilize the concept of <br />extended reference areas. The extended reference area embodies all areas outside <br />of the approved disturbance area yet within the mine permit boundary. Seneca <br />Coal Company has suitably demonstrated that the extended reference area is <br />statistically representative of the pre-mine communities in the mine disturbance <br />area. The minimum acreages available for the extended reference area vegetation <br />types will be: Aspen woodland-100 acres, Mountain Brush-600 acres, Sagebrush- <br />200 acres, and Steep Mountain Brush - 30 acres. <br />Cover <br />For the shrub grassland reclaimed type that is dominant in the reclaimed mine <br />area, cover and production reclamation success standards will be based on <br />comparison of the reclaimed areas with the four extended reference areas, in <br />agreement with Rule 4.15.7(3). Reclamation success standards for species <br />diversity and woody plant density shall be based on technical standards agreed on <br />between Seneca Coal Company and the Division, as allowed by Rule <br />4.15.7(2)(d)(i). <br />The shrub grassland cover standard will be calculated on an area-weighted basis. <br />This method is in compliance with Rule 4.15.7(4)(b). Only the four dominant <br />premining vegetation types (mountain brush, aspen woodland, steep mountain <br />brush, and sagebrush) will be utilized in the weighting calculation to establish the <br />cover standard for the reclaimed shrub grassland type. Average all-hit total <br />vegetation cover in the reclaimed area will be compared to the weighted average <br />all-hit herbaceous cover in the reference area. <br />The cover comparison standard for the reclaimed mesic drainage areas will be <br />based on the area weighted average all-hit herbaceous cover of the undisturbed <br />mesic drainage type and the improved pasture-subirrigated type (pursuant to Rule <br />4.15.7(4)(b)). <br />Yoast Mine 34 December 15, 2010