2014-08-04_PERMIT FILE - M2014045

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EXHIBIT B- SITE DESCRIPTION (a) The affected land is situated at an elevation ranging from a low of about 9,700 feet to a high of 10,100 feet and is located on a timbered north to northwest-facing slope. The majority of the affected area is covered with trees with few open areas, which are covered with grass. Old roads contain varying amounts of vegetative cover. The average precipitation for the area is about 15 to 20 inches annually. The general area is located within the historic Cripple Creek mining district with the initial patented use being mining, as evidenced by the method of private title. The access to the area has been via four routes, the first running along the west flank of Mineral Hill, the second running through the saddle between Mineral and Carbonate Hills, and a third and fourth reaching the site from the North via Spring Creek. This area was quite active and required the use of multiple roads for access during the last mining boom. The occurrence of native soils is limited to areas away from historic disturbances and exists as a thin veneer over the hilltops and hillsides, with an increased thickness present in the valley bottoms due to lower slope angles and more plentiful subsurface pore water. The soils present are moderately deep, coarse, well drained, loamy-skeletal soils resembling mixed Argic Cryoborolls. The surface layer is a grayish brown gravely loam to gravely sandy loam of variable thickness that was observed to range from six to twelve inches. The subsoil is a gravely sandy loam or gravely sandy clay loam of variable thickness. The site is covered with a mixture of evergreen trees and aspen with the small open areas containing grasses, forbes, and shrubs. Road banks and surfaces of some old road contain a grass cover in places. The vegetation community around the relatively undisturbed portions of the site includes the following: grasses and grass-like plants: oatgrass, various wheatgrasses, smooth brome fescue, muhly, dry sedges, poa and squirreltail. Forbes, shrubs and trees include: fringed sage, winterfat, vetch, harebell, scenecio, hairy goldenaster, gilia, waveyleafthistle, mullein, yarrow,beardstongue penstemon, vetch, woods rose, fremont geranium, sand wort, various annual forbes, currant, gooseberry, aspen and pine. (b) The permit area contains no remaining historic buildings or permanent fabricated mining structures and currently includes only the temporary structures associated with the current ongoing exploration that has been occurring on the property. Approximately 4.5 acres, has been previously disturbed by previous historic mining activities. The disturbed areas include the access road within the permit area, the various secondary roads, trails, and prospects, old shafts and adits, along with the area around the portal of the main adit including the waste rock pile. None of these features are anticipated to have any specific