Laserfiche WebLink
4 -74 <br />4.5.15 SUMMARY <br />A vegetation study was conducted at the McClane Canyon Mine during 1980 to <br />collect data and comply with the permitting requirement of the Colorado Surface Coal <br />Mining Reclamation Act. <br />The permit area has three vegetation types, each of which is affected by mining <br />activity. They include a Greasewood Shrubland, Shadscale Shrubland, and a Juniper <br />Woodland. Each of these vegetation types is common to the extensive areas of western <br />Colorado and neighboring Utah. A vegetation map was prepared, reference areas were <br />located, and quantitative data collected. Sampling was confined to an area around <br />existing disturbances and to areas of future disturbances as well as to each reference area. <br />Vegetation factors quantified for the three affected and reference areas included: cover, <br />production, and shrub and tree density. See Tables 4.5.25, 4.5.26, and 4.5.27. All <br />sampling was in accordance with existing and proposed regulations of the Office of <br />Surface Mining and the Division. <br />Sampling in all affected and reference areas for cover, production, and woody <br />plant density met OSM and DRMS adequacy requirements (see Section 4.5.15). All <br />reference areas were statistical adequacy requirements for comparability with respect to <br />cover. Two of the reference areas were slightly nonrepresentative of affected areas, <br />because the reference areas had higher production. No plant species federally listed as <br />threatened or endangered were observed in the permit area. The flora included one <br />designated noxious weed, whitetop, Cardari Draba, which is present in the Greasewood <br />Shrubland vegetation type but has a limited cover. <br />MR -50 McVolume 1 Rev. (04/14) <br />