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., <br />-; <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman 51., Room 215 <br />Denver, Color, rio 80'03 <br />Phone: (703) A66 3567 <br />FAX: U03183?-8106 <br />DATE: July 11, 1997 <br />TO: Janet Binns <br />FROM: Dan Mathews ~ <br />~II ~I~II~~I~~~~~ ~~~ <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />~~ <br />I~~~ <br />DEPARTMENT OF <br />NATURAL <br />RESOURCES <br />Roy Romer <br />Goeernnr <br />lames 5. Lochhea8 <br />E~ecuuve Director <br />Michael B. Long <br />RE: Empire Energy Woody Plant Issues Division Director <br />As we had discussed, I met with Rick Mills yesterday afternoon at <br />Empire, to look at the Utah Tract and Williams Fork Strip Pit <br />reclamation areas, and discuss the concerns which kEave been raised <br />regarding woody plant success, standards, sampling and statistics. <br />I arrived at the site fairly late in the afternoon, and so the site <br />visit was fairly brief, allowing for only a relatively quick walk <br />through a portion of each site. I made no commitmelnts, only a few <br />suggestions, which he indicated he would consider, but would <br />discuss any proposals with you before proceeding. <br />Utah Tract vegetation appeared diverse and productive, with <br />scattered clumps of big sagebrush and snowberry. Rick indicated <br />that shrub densities in recent years had been estimated at S00 to <br />900 stems per acre. His concerns were that they would not be able <br />to meet the 1000 stem per acre standard, and that obtaining sample <br />adequacy would be very difficult, given the clumpy distribution. <br />His concerns are probably valid. <br />With respect to the standard, I suggested that a lower standard, <br />compar ble to Trapper's (which I think is 450 stems per acre) might <br />be s portable, given the fact that the tract borders Trapper <br />recl ation on 'one side, and native mountain shrub and sagebrush <br />hab' at along the other side. With respect to sampling approaches, <br />I, ecommended that he talk to Vern Pfannenstiel o:r David Buckner <br />~garding their experience with "two stage" or "cluster sampling" <br />of clumpy shrub populations on reclaimed areas. I remember them <br />being pretty sure it would be the way to go (at Seneca, I believe) <br />but I haven't seen their data or heard how it actually worked for <br />them. I also mentioned that, if the standard were reduced to <br />around 450 stems per acre, they would likely be able~to demonstrate <br />success with a dramatically reduced sample size by using a "reverse <br />null" T-Test, which is what ACZ used for the H-G shrub data. <br />The Williams Fork Strip Pit reclamation is dominated by introduced <br />wheatgrasses and cicer milkvetch, with some scattered big <br />sagebrush, with higher densities along the margins apparently due <br />