Section 11-8-8-2-A-2-II - Success Standards and Measurement FrequencyA. General Revegetation Requirement for Ground Cover 1. Following cropland soil replacement, the soil surface shall be stabilized with a vegetative cover or other means that effectively controls soil loss by wind and water erosion.2. Ground cover shall consist of the species or species mixture which has been approved in the permit. Unacceptable plant species are listed in Addendum T. Whenever the cropland is planted to a perennial cover, then up to thirty-five percent of the cover may consist of volunteer species not listed in Addendum T.B. Crop Production on Cropland 1. The success standard for cropland shall be determined on the basis of crop production. Crop production shall be considered successful if it is not less than ninety percent of the production of the approved success standard with a ninety percent statistical confidence interval. Crop production shall be measured for any two (2) of the last four (4) years of the five (5) year responsibility period. Hay may be used twice, but other crops commonly grown in the area may also be used.2. Crop Production for cropland shall be determined by one of the following methods:a. Randomly selected representative samples, see Addenda A, B, J, N, Q, and S.b. Whole site harvest, see Addenda D, O, P, Q, R, and S.c. Representative test plots, see Addenda A, B, D, J, O, P, Q, R, and S.C. Selection of Success Standard1. The sampling techniques shall use a ninety percent statistical confidence interval (i.e., one sided test with a .10 alpha error).2. Whenever production is equal to or exceeds ninety percent of the approved standard, the statistical confidence interval test does not have to be performed.3. Areas selected for the success standard or reference area for production shall:a. consist of similar plant species and diversity as approved in the permit.b. currently be managed under the same land use designation as the proposed mined release area.c. consist of soils of the same or similar texture, slope phase, similar soil series, and be in the same land capability class.d. receive the same high level of management using acceptable, approved practices common to the area.e. be located in the general vicinity of the mined test area to eliminate weather variations.4. If the permittee chooses to use a technical standard for determination of crop productivity, the permittee shall use the most current United States Department of Agriculture/Natural Resources Conservation Service soil survey for the county where the mining operation is located. Actual crop specific yield will be those from Table 5 of the county soil survey.5. County average yields will vary from year to year because of fluctuations in the local weather patterns. Because of this variability, target yields must be adjusted by the USDA/NRCS each year that data is submitted. The target yields shall be representative of yields expected when using high management practices common to the area.11 Miss. Code. R. 8-8-2-A-2-II