2011-03-16_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1980007

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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The Historic Record Study Area was created in 1996 to provide a location for sampling a vegetation community representative of the post-mining vegetation community that could be expected to be re-established at the West Elk Mine. Vegetation sampling was initiated in the historic record vegetation community in 1996 and continued in 1997, and 1998. Discussions with the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (CDRMS) in 1999 revealed a desire to undertake additional quantitative sampling during a defined "wet" year. Subsequent to the 1999 meeting, changes in staff at both CDRMS and Mountain Coal Company, LLC (MCC), and the lack of a defined "wet" year, caused years to pass without resolution and establishment of the final revegetation standards accepted under the revised historic records approach accepted by CDRMS in 1995. Quantitative vegetation sampling of four vegetation parameters was undertaken at the historic record. vegetation community in 2010. Data for total vegetation cover, total herbaceous production, woody plant numbers, and species composition were collected in July 2010. A woody plant census was undertaken for woody species individuals present within the Historic Records Study Area. Mean values for total vegetation cover, total herbaceous production, species composition, and woody plant numbers were consistent with those parameter values from the quantitative sampling in the late 1990's. The parameters indicate that the Historic Records Study Area is a long-lived stable, self- sustaining vegetation community of a nature that would be expected to achieve by reclamation and revegetation within the area of the West Elk Mine. Based on the data collected, final revegetation success criteria are proposed for total vegetation cover, total herbaceous production, woody plant density, and species composition. 1.0 INTRODUCTION In 1996 the West Elk Mine initiated activities related to expansion of long-term mine facilities in the Sylvester Gulch drainage, which was the location of the dry meadow reference area. In order to address regulatory performance standards related to revegetation success and minimize expenditures related to identifying, sampling, and maintaining reference areas for each vegetation community disturbed by mine activities, MCC pursued approval of alternative means of establishing revegetation success criteria for the West Elk Mine from CDRMS. The alternative method selected was a historic record approach. During the summer of 1996, MCC and Savage and Savage, Inc. developed a historic record approach to establishing revegetation success criteria specific to the West Elk Mine. The approach was approved by CDRMS in Permit Revision No. 07. The approved approach to establishing a historic record, and subsequent revegetation success criteria involved identification and selection of a representative vegetation community which could be sampled in a controlled manner during a range of environmental conditions, specifically, precipitation regimes. After the selection of the historic record vegetation community in concert with CDRMS, the selected area was Mountain Coal Company, LLC Page 1 Historic Record Study Area Vegetation Sampling Report: 2010