REP39625

• Permit No: C1981014
• IBM Index Class Name: Report
• Doc Date: 11/2/2007
• Doc Name: Revegetation Monitoring Report Review Memo
• From: Sandy Brown
• To: Kent Gorham
• Permit Index Doc Type: Reveg Monitoring Report
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

STATE OF COLORADO
DIVISION OF RECLAMATION, MINING AND SAFETY
Department of Na[ural Resources
1313 Sherman St., Room 215
Denver, Colorado 80203 C O L O R A D O

Phone: [phone] DIVISION OF
RECLAMATION
FAX: [phone] MINING
- &-
SAFETY
Bill Ritter, lr.
Governor
Harris D. Sherman
TO: Kent Gorham Executive Director
FROM: Sandy Brown Ronald W. Cattany
DATE: November 2 007 Division Director
e Natural Resource Trustee
RE: Southfield Revegetation Monitoring Report
I have reviewed the report titled, "Revegetation Monitoring Report for Reclaimed Areas
Sampled in 2006 on the Southfield Mine". The report was prepazed by Kent Crofts of
IME for Energy Fuels Coal, Inc.
During the summer of 2006, IME sampled the azeas seeded in 2003 and 2004 at the
Southfield Mine and also at the loadout. The reclaimed mine lands aze owned by the
Vento family and the Corely family. Sampling was broken out by land ownership and
the loadout for a total of three sepazate sampling units. Cover, production, woody plant
density and species diversity were evaluated.
IME did an excellent job of sampling and reporting the data. Overall, the revegetation is
progressing very well. The reclamation is dominated by native cool season grasses which
is to be expected and there is good species composition. There aze some annual and
biennial species but noxious weeds are not a problem.
Based on the sampling results it appeazs the revegetation is progressing well towazd
achieving revegetation success at this point in time with the exception of the species
diversity standard. Currently, the species diversity standazd requires, "the reclaimed
plant community shall be composed of at least four dominant species comprising no more
than 80 percent of the total relative plant cover. Warm season grasses shall comprise at
least 50 percent of the total plant cover composition." Cover data shows that this
standazd is not close to be achieved. IME has evaluated the baseline data for the mine
site and for the reference azeas and the warm season species do not contribute this much
relative cover in the pre-mining data. IME recommends at the end of the report that
EFCI submit a revision to species diversity to mosdify the standard to be more
representative of the native vegetation in the area. I believe this is a good
recommendation and I suggest we ask EFCI to submit a revision to do so in the next
midterm review or permit renewal.
Office of Office of
Mined Land Reclamation Denver Grand Junction Durango Active and Inactive Mines