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the United States. Colowyo will continue to actively seek answers to the challenges <br />of creating successful reclamation areas in Northwest Colorado in the future. <br />Post Mine Land Use - Colowyo and CDOW are in agreement. <br />Vegetation <br />o Colowyo appreciates CDOW's support of the sagebrush steppe and grassland <br />seed mixes as presented. Additionally, Colowyo will add Utah sweetvetch to <br />both seed mixes as requested by CDOW. <br />0 350 total acres of sagebrush steppe - Both parties agree this is a prudent <br />target. Colowyo will be attempting to seed approximately 600 acres <br />specifically to sagebrush steppe core area on areas of 0-10% slope. A <br />minimum of 175 acres of the 350 total acre requirement will come from these <br />"core" areas. However, Colowyo anticipates a much greater area will <br />successfully exhibit > 375 stems/acre shrub establishment ten years post <br />implementation. <br />o CDOW requests that 10-15% of the area > 10% slope be established to <br />sagebrush steppe and or tall shrubs. Colowyo believes that the development <br />of and identification of Evolved areas (grassland seeded areas that develop <br />into shrub lands) will likely occur on at least 175 acres with slopes > 10%. <br />The utilization of variable topsoil depths and the inclusion of a significantly <br />increased amount of sagebrush seed in the grassland mix should substantially <br />elevate probabilities for the development of significant areas demonstrating a <br />strong shrub community on > 10% slope. Attempting to incorporate other <br />procedures specifically targeting shrub communities on steep slopes will <br />significantly increase exposure to erosion and instability concerns. <br />o Tall Shrub: CDOW requests that 150 acres of tall <br />shrubs/container/saplings/etc be established should the proposed field trials be <br />successful in the Collom Expansion Area. <br />¦ Colowyo has not been able to demonstrate that this plant community <br />can be reliably reproduced within the context of a 10 year bond <br />liability timeframe. A current proposal is under review by DRMS that <br />would establish tall shrub field trials in the existing operation. <br />Information gleaned from these trials will be used to: <br />1) Determine if tall shrub communities can, in fact, be created. <br />2) Further improve knowledge of how this plant community can be <br />created on Coloywo's reclamation areas in the future. <br />¦ Regardless of the outcome of the proposed trials within the current <br />permit boundary, Colowyo has committed to continue tall shrub <br />establishment studies in the Collom Expansion Area to seek site- <br />specific practices with the goal of finding a way to increase the success <br />of establishing these communities in the future. While previous efforts <br />to establish this plant community at Colowyo have been <br />overwhelmingly unsuccessful, Colowyo is committed to continuing <br />efforts to identify practices that will be successful in the future. <br />Colowyo Mine C-1981-019 page 7 of 9 4 May 2011 <br />Permit Revision 03 - Collom Permit Expansion