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RULE 4 PERFORMANCE STANDARDS <br />exhibiting satisfactory establishment of shrubs, but still presenting opportunities (micro - <br />niches) for shrubs. Such interseeding would be performed in accordance with Rule <br />4.15.7(5)(g), and documentation of any such efforts would be provided in the Annual <br />Reclamation Report for that year. <br />This Collom mining area reclamation plan, includes management and revegetation specifications (e.g., <br />shrub species in the seed mix) for use on the "grassland" targeted areas that will facilitate additional shrub <br />establishment when climatic or other conditions are favorable. In this manner, small and /or scattered <br />patches of additional shrubland may be established that will provide improved habitat diversity for all <br />wildlife species, especially for sage grouse. However, since this type of reclamation is entirely dependent <br />on the vagaries of nature, dependence upon such techniques cannot be relied upon. <br />Where shrublands evolve on these "sagebrush community attempts ", they will be segregated into "core" <br />areas and "ecotonal" areas (as is typically evident in nature), each with a separate woody plant density <br />success criterion. Furthermore, it has been noted repeatedly in the industry that the 10 -year bond <br />responsibility period is insufficient for the adequate development of shrub populations. In this regard, <br />flexibility must be built into the success evaluation process (and/or criteria) so that if a positive <br />recruitment rate to the shrub population can be documented on Colowyo revegetation, there would be no <br />need to achieve elevated densities within a modest time -frame such as the 10 -year responsibility period. <br />Given these points, the following woody plant density success criteria will be applied to Collom mining <br />area revegetation efforts: On grassland communities (approximately 60% to 80% of reclaimed acreage <br />( >10% slope) targeting the post- mining land use of grazing- land), zero woody plant density will be <br />required. However, if shrub communities evolve in these areas this acreage will count toward the <br />wildlife habitat acreage and be subject to the appropriate standards. On manifested shrublands <br />(approximately 20% or more of reclaimed acreage targeting the post- mining land use goal of wildlife <br />habitat — sage grouse brooding habitat), the following criteria will be applied depending on shrubland <br />classification. On "core areas" (areas of shrub concentration and comprising no less than one -half the <br />minimum total shrubland acreage), the eventual desirable goal shall be 1000 plants per acre, but the <br />standard shall be 375 live plants per acre. At least one -half of these totals shall be sagebrush species. In <br />"ecotonal areas" the eventual desirable goal shall be 500 plants per acre, but the standard shall be 200 <br />plants per acre. The 375 and 200 plants per acre standards translate to approximately one plant for each <br />10.4ft. x 10.4ft. or 14.8ft. x 14.8ft. area, respectively. Furthermore, Colowyo makes the commitment to <br />establish sagebrush steppe (comprised of both core and ecotonal areas) on approximately 350 acres of the <br />Collom mining area reclamation, or as otherwise agreed upon between Colowyo and CDRMS. This <br />acreage is based on the following rationale: 1) delineation of all Collom mining area post- mining acreage <br />exhibiting slopes 10% or flatter; 2) elimination of all small, isolated, or impractical areas for targeting this <br />community; 3) implementing "banding" (alternating strips of grassland versus shrubland) procedures on <br />large units with long slopes that might otherwise lead to excessive "snowmelt" erosion; and 4) assuming <br />50% shrub establishment success on the acreage that actually receives shrub conducive metrics. <br />Issues with the potential longterm longevity of fourwing saltbush will require that a maximum proportion <br />of the countable shrubs used to demonstrate conformance with the applicable performance standards be <br />limited to 20 %. As an example, should an area demonstrate 375 live shrub plants per acre, 300 of those <br />plants must be something other than fourwing saltbush. Colowyo believes that on -site research partially <br />refutes the data collected at other locations with respect to fourwing saltbush longevity but has <br />compromised in this case given the concerns raised by the Division during the permitting of the South <br />Taylor mining area. <br />Diversity <br />Collom — Rule 4, Page 38 Revision Date: 1/23/09 <br />Revision No.: PR -03 <br />