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Weed Management <br />The Division has approved the Edna Mine weed management plan under Section 4.15.1(5). <br />The plan has been developed in consideration of the Colorado Noxious Weed Act (35 -5.5- <br />101 et seq C.R.S 2003) and its associated rules (8 CCR 1206 -2) and the Division's weed <br />management guideline entitled "Guideline for the Management of Noxious Weeds on Coal <br />Mine Permit Areas" (70 FR 14999, 3/25/05). Areas at the Edna Mine that have achieved <br />final approval of a prior Phase III bond release request and that may still lie within the Edna <br />Mine permit boundary are no longer under the jurisdiction of the Division; any weedy <br />species that may be present in these previously released areas are not subject to continued <br />control under the Edna Mine weed management plan. <br />The 2005 and 2006 Edna Mine vegetation sampling was conducted in August of 2005 and <br />August 2006. Vegetation sampling reports were submitted to the Division in December of <br />2008. Based on the Division review of the sampling reports, it was determined that a portion <br />of the Moffat Area topsoiled bond release area displayed a relative cover of 9.4% of Canada <br />thistle. In accordance to the Edna Mine weed management plan, Chevron Mining, Inc. <br />instituted chemical application of the bond release areas in 2006 and 2007. <br />The presence of noxious weeds on the Edna Mine was raised as a concern in the above <br />mentioned objection letter from the NRCS received by the Division on June 9, 2009. Based <br />on the July 20, 2009 bond release inspection, Chevron Mining, Inc. was supplied with a map <br />delineating the locations within the areas requested for bond release under SL -11 in which <br />weed management should be implemented. In accordance with the approved Edna Mine <br />weed management plan, chemical application was conducted in August of 2009. A follow - <br />up inspection was conducted on August 24, 2009 and it was determined that weed spraying <br />was conducted in the locations noted. A second chemical application was suggested to <br />Chevron Mining, Inc. and this application was conducted during the week of September 28, <br />2009. <br />Chevron Mining provided invoice records showing that weed spraying had been conducted in <br />July and September 2001, May and September 2002, June, July and August 2003, July and <br />October 2004, and July 2005. Chevron Mining, Inc. provided a sketch of locations that <br />Chevron Mining, Inc. conducted weed spraying in 2005, 2006, and 2007 and a confirmation <br />e -mail from the contractor that conducted the spraying stating that target species were <br />"thistle, white top, and hounds tongue ". Chevron Mining, Inc. implemented intensive weed <br />control measures in 2009, 2010 and 2011. Routt County Weed Program Supervisor, Mr. <br />Gregory Brown, provided a follow up letter, dated September 6, 2011, confirming that Routt <br />County Weed Program considered that the weed control efforts were a good start and <br />recommended that weed control efforts be continued for the following two years (2012 and <br />2013). Chevron Mining, Inc. provided detail of their weed management efforts in weed <br />management reports, August 10, 2010 (received September 2, 2011) and August 19, 2011. <br />As required by the Division, Chevron Mining, Inc. conducted additional vegetation sampling <br />in August 2010 in the Moffat area to document the effectiveness of the weed control efforts. <br />Results of the August 2010 vegetation sampling documented vegetative cover attributed to <br />Edna Mine Page 21 April 12, 2013 <br />Phase II. and III Bond Release <br />