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,i ;~ r III IIIIIIIIIIIIIIII sss Hayden Gulch Mine Permit No. C-80-003 May 15, 1996 H-G Coal Hine 1996-1997 Vegetation Sampling Plan for Final Bond Release 1) Sampling Period Vegetation sampling will be completed in August of each sampling year(1996 and 1997). Data will be collected for herbaceous cover, ground cover classes, herbaceous production and shrub density. Species diversity values will be obtained from the cover data. 2) Sampling Areas The entire reclaimed area will be sampled as one unit except for sites disturbed in the approved shrub augmentation areas which will be surveyed later, during the approved period. The reclaimed area will be sampled for herbaceous cover, herbaceous production and shrub density. Sample sites on the reclamation will be located using a stratified random sampling scheme based on the year of seeding and the acreages seeded within each year. The four vegetation reference areas will be sampled separately for herbaceous cover and herbaceous production with weighted averages computed for the bond release comparisons. This is consistent with the 1980 reference area study. The four reference areas include the Aspen, Sagebrush, Gambel Oak and Chokecherry vegetation types. All reference area samples will be randomly located. 3) Sampling liethodology a) Herbaceous Cover Cover data will be collected using the Point Intercept method with 100 foot transects and a pin drop at two foot intervals for 50 points per transect. Each transect will comprise one sample. Only herbaceous vegetation, litter, rock and bare ground are recorded. Cover data for woody plant species will not be collected. A minimum of 15 samples will be collected on the reclaimed area and a minimum of 10 samples will be collected on each of the reference areas. Sampling will continue until adequacy is met in accordance with the formula presented in the 1988 DMG Vegetation Guideline or until a maximum of 50 samples are collected.