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Upon completion of mining in an area and within the fast several years after revegetation • <br />activities, revegetation monitoring studies will be conducted. These monitoring studies will <br />provide both the mine manager and posunine manager of landowner with an excellent basis for <br />livestock carrying capacities and overall management of the area both during the bond liability <br />period and after release of the lands. In addition, wildlife managers will have detailed data on <br />vegetation and the amount and type o£ food and cover habitat available. <br />The general criteria for revegetation of the haul road corridor (Tie-Across Haul Road from <br />County Road 53 to the power plant) are based on the following. The actual surface area <br />disturbance will be minimal (approximately 112 acres), thus making the regrading and seeding <br />of the area fairly simple. Areas of native vegetation dominated by sagebrush will be seeded to <br />species for foraging by livestock and big game. Over time, sagebrush will easily invade these <br />seeded azeas from the surrounding stands of undisturbed sagebrush because of the relatively <br />narrow width of disturbance. Frischknecht (1963) and Muegglet (1956) found that sagebrush <br />easily reinvades areas that are distuzbed and that seed will be contained in the soil as well as <br />also being windborne into the area. Reclaimed cropland will be incorporated into farming <br />operations as soon as respreading of topsoil occurs. Depending on the season and the location • <br />of the reclaimed area in a management unit, it may either be seeded to a grain crop or <br />incorporated into a summer fallow program. TFie meadow, greasewood, and other lowland <br />types will be seeded with speues adapted to wet saline or alkaline conditions. <br />The postmitung land use, achieved through the reclamation and revegetation plans, will thus <br />provide for the highest possible economic return to the postmine land user. It will also <br />improve livestock and wildlife forage resources; aid in mitigating impacts to wildlife; ensure the <br />establishment of vegetation that is diverse and self-sustaining; and will provide the components <br />to reestablish the native plant communities over time through processes oEnatural succession. <br />Postmining Land Use Management. Management of reclaimed lands will be similar to the <br />management of the area prior to mining. Proper management of reclaimed lands will be <br />stressed during the liability period. Livestock grazing will begin in late May or early June with <br />areas being grazed into late September of early October. Where grazing occurs on reclaimed <br />and adjacent lands under Peabody's control during the liability period, area to be grazed, proper <br />stocking rates, and grazing periods will be specified to the grazing lessee. This information will • <br />be based on vegetation production data from monitoring studies, size of pasture units, and <br />management needs such as rest or grazing deferments. Any interim fencing will be established <br />10 <br />