2012-03-07_PERMIT FILE - C2010088 ‎(14)‎

• Permit No: C2010088
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/7/2012
• Doc Name: Vegetation Information
• Section_Exhibit Name: Exhibit 05
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

EXHIBIT 5
eliminating the need to sample shrub density on area corresponding to the grazing land use.
Thus, the requirement to sample shrub density has been deleted on the federal level for the
grazingland land use and the CDMRS has applied to change their regulations accordingly.
Given this regulatory contradiction, during permit consultation meetings, Mr. Dan Mathews
directed IME to sample shrub density only for those transects where plant cover was collected
and we were directed that it was not necessary to achieve sample adequacy for this parameter.
The sample adequacy formula contained in the regulations was used, wherein a precision of
0.10 was used for cover and production and 0.15 for shrub density.
On all of the proposed disturbance areas and reference area sampled, all of the field data were
analyzed in terms of "total plant cover" to determine whether sample adequacy was achieved
prior to leaving the site being sampled. On all major vegetation types sampled for production, a
minimum of 15 cover and 30 production samples were collected and the green plant weight
data analyzed to determine whether sample adequacy had been achieved. On all sites sampled
for shrub density, a minimum of 15 samples were collected and the data analyzed to determine
whether sample adequacy had been achieved. In instances where cover or production was not
achieved with either 15 or 30 samples, respectively, then a maximum of 50 transects were
sampled.
During the consultation meetings held with the CDRMS, IME was informed that it was not
necessary to submit copies of the raw field data sheets, but that this information should be kept
in our files in the event that the CDRMS determined that they needed to review this
information.
NOXIOUS WEEDS
Historically, the CDRMS has issued various lists, reported to contain the official noxious weed
list with respect to the CDRMS regulations, for example Appendix B of the "Guidelines with
Land Use and Vegetation Requirements of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for
Coal Mining" issued in June of 1988, the undated "Guideline for the Management of
Noxious Weeds on Coal Mine Permit Areas," reports to contain a list of "noxious weeds for
the purposes of this guideline and the Coal Regulations." The CDRMS regulations at 1.04 (78)
state that "noxious weeds" means "species that have been included on official State or county
lists of noxious weeds." Examination of the Colorado Department of Agriculture website at
hyp: // www.ag.state.co.us/NoxiousWeeds /counties /Mesa.html on 15 July 2010 resulted in our
obtaining a list entitled "Mesa County Noxious Weed List." .
To standardize the issue of noxious weeds, in this report and associated Permit Application, the
term "noxious weeds" as used herein includes species found on the Colorado Department of
Agriculture website at: http: //www. colorado. gov/cs /Satellite ?c = Page &cid on as accessed on
15 July 2010, which was assembled per the provisions of the Colorado Weed Management
Act. This site contains three lists of State listed noxious weeds, List A, List B and List C. In
this permit application, only the current Mesa County Noxious Weed List will be considered to
be noxious weeds for purposes of this report and subsequent revegetation success monitoring of