2012-09-06_REPORT - C1980006 (2)

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Conclusions At the Marr Mine, with respect to the successfulness of revegetation efforts associated with the 1999 Reclamation area, since sample adequacy was achieved for plant cover sampling on both the Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area and the corresponding 1999 reclamation sites, and the plant cover growing on the revegetated sites exceeds the calculated success standard, it can be concluded that the total plant cover growing on these sites is considered successful with respect to the revegetation success standard for total plant cover. Using the reverse null statistical hypothesis, the calculated t, value was determined to be 2.4047, which exceeds the t value of 1.345, therefore, it can be concluded that the successfulness of revegetation efforts with respect to total plant cover is supported by these data. With respect to herbaceous forage production, since sample adequacy was achieved on the Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area, but was not achieved on the 1999 Reclamation site with the recommended 30 transects sampled, application of the reverse null statistical approach is necessary. Applying this statistical approach documents that the total herbaceous production for the 1999 reclamation sites, yields a calculated t,, values (7.7408) on these two reclaimed areas which exceeds the t values (1.311), and thus, it can be concluded that the total herbaceous forage production satisfies the revegetation success standard. Since sample adequacy was not achieved for shrub density at the recommended 30 transects on the 1999 reclamation sites, application of the reverse null statistical approach documents that for the shrub density values on these two sites, the t, values (2.6237) in these exceed the t values (1.311), and thus it can be concluded that the shrub density satisfies the revegetation success standard. These monitoring data confirm that for the parameters of total plant cover, total herbaceous production and shrub density the Phase III Bond Release criteria have been satisfied at the Man Mine site for total plant cover with respect to the 1999 reclamation. With respect to species diversity /forage quality, the forage quality index value on the 1999 Reclamation site equaled 459.62 which was much higher than the forage quality index value of 193.94 associated with the Alkali Sagebrush Reference Area, it can be concluded that the forage quality of the 1999 Reclamation area satisfies the forage quality standard associated with this site At the Kerr Tipple site, since sample adequacy was achieved on the Tipple Reference Area and Tipple Reclamation for total plant cover and since the total plant cover value on the reclaimed site exceeds the corresponding reference area value, it can be concluded by direct comparison that the Phase III Bond Release sampling criteria have been satisfied for plant cover at this location. Application of the reverse null statistical approach further documents that the total herbaceous production for the Tipple reclamation site, the t values (4.1164) from this reclaimed site exceed the t values (1.328), and thus, it can be concluded that the total forage production satisfies the revegetation success standard. With respect to total herbaceous forage production, since sample adequacy was not achieved on 13