REVEGETATION TRENDS AND LESSONS MONTANA COAL

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2 REVEGETATION TRENDS AND LESSONS MONTANA COAL

3 The secret of managing is to keep the guys who hate you away from the guys who are undecided. Casey Stengel

4 Can't anybody here play this game? Casey Stengel

5 MONKEY SEE MONKEY DO

6 SPRING CREEK AND DECKER COAL MINES SOUTH CENTRAL MT 3500 ELEV. (1,070 m) 10.8 (27 CM) ANNUAL PRECIP. ~ CLAY LOAM 3 SUBSTRATES: SPOIL, SCORIA, SALVAGED TOPSOIL

7 SCM HAS 9 MAJOR SEED MIXES MAY USE SEVERAL IN ONE FIELD E.G., 1 OR 2 UPLAND ALLUVIAL SPECIAL SUBSTRATES SHRUB MOSAICS

8 COAL DISTURBANCE MT 63 mi 2 = 163 km 2 0.2% OF CROPLAND 28,000 mi 2 = 73,000 km 2

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15 SMCRA 1977 REVEG. DIVERSE, EFFECTIVE, PERMANENT NATIVE SPP. EXCEPT PASTURES PREMINE COVER AND PROD. CONTROL EROSION

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17 COAL RECLAMATION BECOMES THE CRUCIBLE FOR WESTERN REVEGETATION

18 MT COAL AND URANIUM MINE RECLAMATION WEAKENED 2003 STILL REQUIRES PERIODIC MONITORING and CORRECTIVE MEASURES AS NECESSARY TO COMPLY WITH THE PERMIT OR AS THE DATA INDICATE

19 MINIMUM 10 YEAR TO EVALUATE PHASE 3 BOND RELEASE

20 Table 10. Shrub survival as a function of field age, Sodic Overburden Test Plots. AGE (YRS.) 4 Suitable Fill 8 Suitable Fill INDIV/HA (% SURVIVAL) 4 8,370 (100) 17,700 (100)

21 Table 10. Shrub survival as a function of field age, Sodic Overburden Test Plots. AGE (YRS.) 4 Suitable Fill 8 Suitable Fill INDIV/HA (% SURVIVAL) 4 8,370 (100) 17,700 (100) 7 7,490 (89) 10,350 (58)

22 Table 10. Shrub survival as a function of field age, Sodic Overburden Test Plots. AGE (YRS.) 4 Suitable Fill 8 Suitable Fill INDIV/HA (% SURVIVAL) 4 8,370 (100) 17,700 (100) 7 7,490 (89) 10,350 (58) 10 2,580 (29) 2,670 (15)

23 Table 10. Shrub survival as a function of field age, Sodic Overburden Test Plots. AGE (YRS.) 4 Suitable Fill 8 Suitable Fill INDIV/HA (% SURVIVAL) 4 8,370 (100) 17,700 (100) 7 7,490 (89) 10,350 (58) 10 2,580 (29) 2,670 (15) 11 2,460 (29) 2,520 (19)

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29 1000 DAYS

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32 Table 1. Premine (baseline) vegetational attributes, SCCM. VEGETATION TYPE PERENNIAL PERENNIAL SHRUB COVER PSC DENSITY % KG/HA* INDIV/HA** Steppe Types (minor) Sagebrush Types ,400 (3,400/A) * Air dried; excluding tree productivity. Multiply by 0.89 for pounds/acre. ** For shrubs/acre divide by 2.47.

33 Table 2. Technical vegetation standards, SCCM. Revegetation must meet 90% of the standards with 0.1 Type 1 error. PERFORMANCE GRAZING WILDLIFE PARAMETER LAND HABITAT SHRUB DENSITY 1,110/HA 5,740/HA PERENNIAL COVER 50% 46% PEAK STANDING CROP 775 KG/HA NA

34 TURNING TO TRENDS GENERALIZATIONS THAT MAKE THE COMPLICATED APPEAR SIMPLE

35 60 Canopy Coverage Annual Forbs Annual Grasses Perennial Grasses 3X Annual Precip Growth Form Dynamic South Fork Spring Creek, Bighorn Co., MT

36 40 RELATIVE GROWTH FORM ABUNDANCE 35 Percent Canopy Coverage Annual Forbs Annual Grasses Perennial Grasses

37 FOCUS ON 3 TRENDS FOR BOND RELEASE PERENNIAL COVER PERENNIAL PRODUCTIVITY SHRUB DENSITY

38 Kg/Ha PERENNIAL PSC TRENDS IN REVEGETATION 0 YOUNG MID 10+ YEARS FIELD AGE

39 16.0 PRECIPITATION TRENDS SCM Annual Precipitation Inches S 1990S 2000S 2010S

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42 80 PERENNIAL C COVERAGE IN REVEGETATION 70 Percent Canopy Coverage YOUNG MID 10+ YEARS FIELD AGE

43 100 GROUND COVER PREMINE AND REVEG PERCENT COVER PREMINE REVEG 0 BARE GROUND ROCK FRAGMENTS PLANT LITTER TOTAL

44 TREND: SHRUB DENSITY DECLINES WITH TIME. 82% SURVIVAL AT THE CONCLUSION OF SAMPLING PAR 5

45 PAR 1B ST3

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47 QUICK LOOK AT 3 SPP. CHEATGRASS WESTERN WHEATGRASS SHEEP FESCUE

48 2007 PRECIP. 13.2

49 2008 PRECIP. 10.7

50 2012 PRECIP. 10.5

51 2015 PRECIP. 11.5

52 TOPSOIL STOCKPILE SCM

53 TOPSOIL STOCKPILE DCM

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55 DCM C HILLS

56 CHEATGRASS COVER IN REVEGETATION SCCM 30 PERCENT RELATIVE COVER YOUNG MID 10+ YEARS FIELD AGE

57 WESTERN WHEATGRASS REVEG ALL STAR ORIGINATES LOCALLY VIGOROUS RHIZ. SPREAD

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60 In the 2007 monitoring at DCM, 80% of perennial cover (relative cover) came from a single species: Western Wheatgrass.

61 PAR 3 SEEDED 1997 PAR 1G SEEDED 10/06 AND 4/11

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64 30 WESTERN WHEATGRASS C COVER SCCM PERCENT RELATIVE COVER YOUNG MID 10+ YEARS FIELD AGE

65 SHEEP FESCUE REVEG ALL STAR INTRODUCED TO U.S. SMALL TUFTED BUNCHGRASS SPREADS BY COPIOUS SEED PRODUCTION

66 SEEDED 1990 PHOTO 2012

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68 SHEEP FESCUE COVER SEEDED PERCENT RELATIVE COVER YOUNG MID 10+ YEARS FIELD AGE

69 20 SHEEP FESCUE COVER UNSEEDED PERCENT CANOY COVERAGE YOUNG MID 10+ YEARS FIELD AGE

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71 NO TIME FOR HOW TO GROW SHRUBS FROM SEED NEXT 3 PHOTOS FROM A SINGLE FIELD, DIFFERENT SEEDINGS

72 PAR 2F

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75 DEALING WITH ANNUAL BIENNIAL WEED PATCHES IN REVEGETATION

76 TYPICAL PROGRESSION IN A POOR SEEDING KOCHIA TUMBLEMUSTARD CHEATGRASS

77 Kochia roots 2 weeks

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88 MANAGE TO PREVENT KOCHIA DON T LEAVE COVERSOIL UNSEEDED ANY LONGER THAN NECESSARY ERADICATE KOCHIA RESERVES ON THE MINE

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92 KOCHIA MOW IT RELEASE OVERTOPPED PERENNIALS KOCHIA CAN STILL PRODUCE SEED

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94 KILL KOCHIA WITH GLYPHOSATE AND A WEED WIPE

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96 CAN TRY INTERSEEDING IF SOME KIND OF SEEDBED PAR 5B CHEATGRASS SEEDED 4 11

97 FULLY INTERSEEDED 5 YEARS AFTER ORIGINAL SEEDING PAR 1G

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99 ANNUAL BIENNIAL FORBS AND CHEATGRASS PRE EMERGENT CHEMICAL CONTROL FOLLOWED BY LITTER REDUCTION THEN SEEDING

100 B HILLS

101 C HILLS

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104 SKIP ONE GROWING SEASON SEED IN SPRING JUST WESTERN AND CHENOPOD SHRUBS

105 SEED TOO SOON CHEMICALS INHIBIT THE SEEDING SEED TOO LATE WEEDS RETURN WITH THE PERENNIALS

106 THERE ARE OTHER LESSONS

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