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Chart 1 and Tables 1 and 2 exhibit the results from the ground cover evaluation, and reveal that in <br />2011, the Phase III bond release areas significantly exceed the reference area comparison with 25.0% <br />and 22.2% perennial cover for the Greasewood and Shadscale Comparison Revegetation Areas, <br />respectively, versus the success standard of 11.9% and 7.7% perennial cover (90% of Reference Area <br />values) for the Greasewood and Shadscale Reference Areas, respectively. In 2012, the Phase III bond <br />release areas also significantly exceed the reference are success standards with 20.7% and 21.2% <br />perennial cover for the Greasewood and Shadscale Comparison Revegetation Areas, respectively, versus <br />8.6% and 5.8% perennial cover (90% of Reference Area values) for the Greasewood and Shadscale <br />Reference Areas, respectively. <br />Based on the perennial cover values significantly exceeding the corresponding reference area <br />values, it can be reasonably assumed that the bond release areas will continue to maintain an adequate <br />cover of perennials amidst the annual dominated landscape surrounding the mine into the near future. <br />The Greasewood Comparison Revegetation Areas exhibited approximately double the amount of average <br />perennial cover than the corresponding reference area in both 2011 and 2012. The Shadscale <br />Comparison Revegetation Areas exhibited approximately three times the amount of average perennial <br />cover than the corresponding reference area in both 2011 and 2012. <br />In Summary, Phase III bond release areas addressed by this document strongly surpass the <br />success standards for perennial vegetation cover. <br />4.2 Production Success Com mison <br />In 2011 and 2012, Cedar Creek was able to make direct comparisons between the revegetated units <br />included in this Phase III bond release evaluation and the reference areas with regard to the variable of <br />perennial herbaceous production. As noted in the introduction, the Perennial Herbaceous Production <br />Success Standard is to achieve 90% of the perennial herbaceous production of the approved reference <br />area. Snowcap elected to use perennial herbaceous instead of total herbaceous due to annual species <br />(predominately cheatgrass) dominance exhibiting between 76% and 89% of the production composition <br />of the reference areas in 2011 and 2012. This accepted alternative is stated under Section IV.A.3 in the <br />Guideline Regarding Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues (CDMG, 1995). Chart 2 was developed to <br />provide a quick overview of the success of these revegetated efforts in comparison to reference area <br />based criteria. <br />CEDAR CREEK ASSOCIATES, Inc. Page 24 Snowcap - Phase III Bond Release <br />Evaluation - 2012 <br />