2011-01-18_REPORT - C1981041 (2)

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1.2 Background and Standards for Success Portions of the Cameo RDA's No. 1 and No. 2 were initially seeded in July and December of 1994 with subsequent seeding efforts on the remaining areas in April, 2002. The 1994 revegetated portions of CRDA No. 1 and No. 2 were estimated at 12.1 and 12.0 acres, respectively, with about 14.8 and 20.2 acres revegetated in 2002, respectively. The South Fan Area is comprised of a little more than an acre of moderately sloping revegetation that has a predominately western aspect. This area (East unit and West Borrow unit) was graded, seeded and mulched in the fall of 2000. The No. 2 West Portals Area is comprised of four small units that total less than an acre. These are areas of gentle to moderately sloping revegetation that have a predominately western aspect and were graded, seeded and mulched in the fall of 2000 (with one of the four areas completed in the fall of 2001). Two of the four areas received supplemental seeding in October 2005. Approximately 2.5 acres of the Cameo Borrow Area No.1 was hydro- seeded in 1994 with Seed Mix 10 and another 0.2 acres were seeded in April of 2002 with Seed Mix 13 Upland. The North Decline Mine Dewatering System, Cameo Borrow Area No.2, and Cameo Topsoil Piles were hydro - seeded in April of 2002 with Seed Mix 13 Upland. In November of 2002, Seed Mix 13 Upland was used to: 1) hand -seed the Substation B area; 2) hydro -seed the Roadside RDA and Roadside South Portal Upper Diversion Ditch; and 3) drill -seed the North Portal Facilities and Roadside Refuse Borrow Area. The UTL- Conveyor area was drill seeded in July of 2003 with Seed Mix 8 lowland. The revegetation history of Snowcap areas is summarized on the table on the following page. According to permit documents, success criteria and standards that were initially established for the Snowcap mine were as follows: 90% of the ground cover of the approved reference area. 90% of the production of the approved reference area. Woody plant density of 800 live shrubs per acre. One perennial cool- season grass species with >3% relative cover Total perennial warm - season grass species >_ 3% relative cover. Total perennial forb species >_ 3% relative cover. No reclaimed area shall have a single species that represents > 40% relative cover. At the request of Snowcap, Cedar Creek evaluated the species diversity success standard during 2001. Per Cedar Creek's recommendations from that evaluation, given consultations with the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (CDMG), new species diversity success standards were eventually adopted in 2005. They currently are as follows: Total perennial cool- season grass species relative cover ?0.5 %. Total perennial warm - season grass species relative cover >_2.0 %. Total perennial forb and suffrutescent (sub- shrub) species relative cover >_0.5 %. No reclaimed area shall have a single species that represents greater than 70% relative cover, with the exception of annual grasses. The annual grass component shall not exceed 70% relative cover unless the annual grass component in the corresponding reference area also CEDAR CREEK ASSOCIATES, Inc. Page 3 Snowcap - Revegetation Evaluation - 2010