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A total of four vegetation inventories have been completed to date at this mine site. The first <br />inventory was conducted in 1977 and provided a brief qualitative description of the vegetation <br />types to comply with the existing baseline requirements. With the enactment of the Colorado <br />Surface Coal Mining Reclamation Act came more stringent baseline requirements. A second <br />inventory for the two reference areas (pinon juniper and mountain shrub land), and about five (5) <br />acres of the original waste disposal area was conducted in 1981. This study also provided <br />information to allow for the development of a revegetation plan. A third vegetation inventory <br />was conducted in 1982 since the two identified reference areas did not adequately reflect the <br />intended postmining land use. This third inventory allowed for the development of acceptable <br />vegetation success criteria and resulted in a modification to the seed mixture. The last inventory <br />was conducted in 1986 at the Bowie No. 1 West Mine. Due to the small acreage disturbed (12 <br />acres), no reference areas were established. However, vegetation success standards were <br />developed specific to this site from the study. <br />Vegetation on the areas affected by this mine is characterized by pinon juniper stands, mixed <br />mountain shrub lands, oakbrush shrub lands, and orchard land. The pinon juniper type is the <br />most extensive vegetation type disturbed covering 81 of the 144 total disturbed acres. A total of <br />10.1 acres of the mixed shrub land type has been disturbed. <br />From the four vegetation studies, no proposed or listed threatened or endangered plant species of <br />Federal or state concern were identified. Therefore, pursuant to Rule 2.07.6(2)(n), the Division <br />finds that mining activities will not affect the existence of or result in the destruction of adverse <br />modification of endangered or threatened species or their critical habitats, respectively. <br />The approved permanent seed mix (application Section 2.05) includes a variety of approved <br />substitute species to allow the operator to select species based upon availability and cost. The <br />permanent seed mix will be used for all areas except the unit train loadout area, which will be <br />planted to cropland. Topsoil piles that will not be redistributed for five or more years were to be <br />seeded with the proposed permanent seed mix (excluding shrubs and trees), and not the <br />temporary seed mix. Revegetated areas were to be scarified prior to topsoil replacement (where <br />topsoil was available) and then drill seeded. Steep slope areas were to be broadcast or <br />hydroseeded. All seeded areas were to be mulched with hay or straw, and fertilizer was to be <br />applied on an as- needed basis according to soil analysis. <br />There are three revegetation success standards developed for the Bowie No. 1 Mine, as detailed <br />below: <br />Bowie No. 1 Mine East Mine <br />a. Total vegetation ground cover will exceed 40 percent. <br />b. Total above - ground herbaceous production will exceed 400 pounds per acre. <br />C. Woody plant density will equal or exceed 1,000 stems per acre. <br />d. Species diversity will consist of at least five (5) native perennial herbaceous species, four <br />(4) native cool season grasses, and one (1) native forb having a relative cover or <br />production equal to or greater than 3 percent each, but combined will not exceed 90 <br />percent in relative cover or production and no one of the five species exceeding 60 <br />Page 31 of 42 <br />