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recommended 10 transects sampled. However, the total herbaceous forage production values on <br />the Vento Reclamation, Corley Reclamation and Loadout Reclamation sites exceeded the <br />probable revegetation standard with respect to total herbaceous forage production. <br />Sample adequacy was not achieved for shrub density on any of the three reclaimed sites <br />sampled. However, in most instances the Permit standards for shrub density were achieved. For <br />those portions of the Vento Reclamation located in the immediate vicinity of the Refuse Pile the <br />permit standard for shrub density was achieved. However, for those portions of the Vento <br />Reclamation, located in the vicinity of the old mine portal shrub density was obviously not <br />achieved and cannot probably ever be restored to the Mine Portal Reference Area shrub density <br />value. Shrub density was achieved for the Loadout Reclamation. <br />Species diversity was achieved for the four dominant plants on all three reclaimed sites, wherein <br />they could not contribute more than 80 percent of the total relative cover, but the Permit standard <br />that the two dominant warm season species comprise at least 50 percent of the total relative <br />cover was not obtained for any of the reclaimed sites sampled. In fact, this Permit standard <br />appears to be totally inconsistent with the existing undisturbed vegetation found adjacent to these <br />reclaimed areas. For example, the original 1980 baseline vegetation sampling documents that <br />the two dominant warm season species for the Mine Portal Reference Area, accounted for only <br />34.43 percent of the total plant cover on this site. For the Refuse Pile Reference Area, the two <br />dominant warm season species accounted for only 58.80 percent of the total plant cover of this <br />site. While for the Loadout Reference Area, the two dominant warm season species contributed <br />only 43.93 percent of the total relative cover of this area. <br />Sampling of the Refuse Pile Reference Area in 1987, wherein sample adequacy was achieved, <br />documented that the two dominant warm season species contributed only 19.6 percent of the <br />total relative cover and sampling of this site again in 1997, wherein sample adequacy was <br />achieved, documented that the two dominant warm season species contributed only 26.4 percent <br />of the total relative cover of this site. Sampling of the proposed Southfield Mine Portal <br />Reference Area in the fall of 2008, on the hillside to the west of the existing mine portal <br />reclamation site and to the east of the coal refuse pile area, wherein sample adequacy was <br />achieved for plant cover, documented that the warm season species on this site, contributed only <br />10.41 percent of the total relative cover on this site. <br />Near the Southfield Loadout site, sampling of the proposed Northfield Mine Area in 1990, at a <br />site located approximately one mile to the west, wherein sample adequacy was achieved, <br />documented similar patterns for this grassland area. For this proposed Mine Facilities Area, the <br />two dominant warm season species contributed only 47.46 percent of the total relative cover and <br />for the Reference Area 45.61 percent of the total relative plant cover for the proposed mine site. <br />These six quantitative vegetation sampling efforts conducted either on or immediately adjacent <br />to the Southfield Reclamation areas clearly document that the warm season grass revegetation <br />success standard is so high that virtually none of the undisturbed areas adjacent to these <br />reclamation areas would every satisfy this species diversity revegetation success standard. <br />14 <br />