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the approximate original contour requirements of Rule <br /> 4 . 14 . 1 (2) (a) <br /> Drainage control has been accomplished in compliance with the <br /> approved plan. Reclaimed channels appear stable. There are <br /> no erosion problems on the reclaimed areas . Topsoil has been <br /> applied and all disturbed areas were seeded. <br /> III. Rule 3 .03 . 1 (2) (b) allows up to 85% of the bond to be released <br /> upon the successful establishment of revegetation in <br /> accordance with the approved reclamation plan. As mentioned <br /> above, the Division' s decision is to not release any part of <br /> this bond for the Phase II portion of the request. <br /> The Division reviewed the vegetation study submitted by <br /> Western Fuels-Colorado for Areas 1 and 2 in the Phase II Bond <br /> Release application. <br /> Current Division policy allows annual and biennial vegetation <br /> to be counted toward the cover standard only to the extent <br /> that the annual/biennial component is present within the <br /> reference area. Pursuant to this Division policy, noxious <br /> weeds may not count toward vegetative cover. (Plants <br /> considered as noxious weeds are listed in the State Coal <br /> Program Guidelines. The list is found "Guidelines for the <br /> Management of Noxious Weeds on Coal Mine Permit Areas, " dated <br /> April 10, 1990 . ) <br /> Analysis of the data collected in the reference area <br /> demonstrated that 0 . 67W mean cover (2 .95t relative cover) was <br /> attributed to annual/biennial forbs and grasses. Therefore, <br /> the Division shall allow a 0 .67t mean cover contributed by <br /> annual and biennial, non-noxious species to count in the <br /> vegetation cover value. <br /> Cover attributed to noxious weed species will not be <br /> considered in the cover values. The operator has acknowledged <br /> this by stating on Page 22-13 of the permit that, <br /> "Establishment of succulents and annual grasses in the <br /> reclaimed communities is either impractical or undesirable. <br /> Thus, these growth forms will not be considered. " <br /> The Division recalculated the statistical vegetation <br /> comparisons after removing that portion of the cover ascribed <br /> to annuals, biennials, and noxious weeds at levels greater <br /> than that found in the undisturbed reference area. For <br /> Area 1, the corrected mean cover value is 11. 716 . Reduction of <br /> the annual contribution resulted in a standard deviation of <br /> 4 .08 _ The mean cover calculated for the refuse area is <br /> 22 . 67%. The calculated t using 90%- of the reference area <br /> cover at a 90W confidence level resulted in a value of 15 . 60 . <br /> Reference to a one tailed t-table with 20 degrees of freedom <br /> at a 90$ confidence indicates t needs to be < 1 .325 to achieve <br /> 901; of the reference area cover. Since the calculated t <br /> substantially exceeds the reference t, the cover established <br /> 4 <br />