Laserfiche WebLink
3.0 RESULTS <br />3.1 Phase III Summary <br />Tabular compilations of raw data and summaries for the aforementioned sampling efforts are <br />presented in Appendix A on Tables 2 through 16 and Charts 7 through 10. Summaries of the success <br />comparisons for the revegetation areas are provided on the following pages in Table 1 and Charts 1 <br />through 6. All sample means presented in the following section are derived from statistically adequate <br />sampling efforts, whereby there is at least a 90 percent statistical confidence level associated with each <br />reported value. All reported means also exceed 90 percent of the approved standards, thereby <br />demonstrating successful reclamation of the evaluated areas at Snowcap. To further demonstrate the <br />successful passage of all associated standards at Snowcap, reverse null hypothesis testing was performed <br />on all units and for all applicable standards. Table 1 gives a quick indication of the overall success of the <br />various revegetation units compared with reference area data and / or standards. <br />A total of 89 plant species were observed within the Phase III Bond Release Areas evaluated in <br />2011. These consisted of 27 grass taxa, 42 forbs, 6 sub - shrubs, and 14 shrub species (Table 2 in <br />Appendix A). Table 2 exhibits all taxa observed on reclamation or reference areas during fieldwork. <br />Among these taxa is the occasional noxious or invasive weed such as musk thistle (Carduus nutans) or <br />cheatgrass (Anisantha tectorum), the latter existing ubiquitously on revegetation as well as native <br />ground. It should be noted that musk thistle and field bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) were the only <br />noxious weeds listed on the Guideline for the Management of Noxious Weeds on Coal Mine Permit Areas <br />(CDMLR, 1990) identified at Snowcap and these weeds were largely concentrated on the Shadscale <br />Reference Area. There was only one hit on field bindweed on a reclaimed area (Table 3). <br />With regard to plant cover, all areas sampled in 2011 pass the success comparison (90% of the <br />reference area value) for ground cover by perennial lifeforms. With regard to diversity, the combined <br />revegetation units pass all seven accepted standards. The current annual production success comparison <br />follows a pattern similar to that of ground cover, where perennial production is higher on the reclaimed <br />areas. However, TR -60 indicates comparison to "total" production that, in turn, results in a failure for <br />comparisons made to the Shadscale Reference Area. Although rare ecological circumstances have led to <br />this false negative, CDRMS guidelines allow for alternative comparisons: "An acceptable alternative is to <br />delete all annual /biennial cover and production from both reference area and reclaimed area data prior to <br />success comparison" (CDMG, 1995). Given this guideline, Snowcap has elected in 2011 to delete all <br />annual and biennial production from both the reclaimed and reference area databases and make <br />comparisons based on herbaceous perennial production only. When perennial herbaceous production is <br />compared, both areas pass the herbaceous production standard and the Shadscale Comparison reclaimed <br />Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. 14 Snowcap Mine - 2011 <br />Phase III Bond Release Evaluation - Year 1 <br />