2015-04-14_PERMIT FILE - P2015008

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IV. OPERATION AND RECLAMATION MEASURES: 2. Provide a description of the native vegetation of the area to be disturbed, including tree, shrub, and grass communities of the area. Color photographs, sufficient to adequately represent the ecology of the site and adequately labeled (including date, orientation and location), may be used in lieu of a written description. Based on the quality of the photographs, the Division may require additional detail. General: All sites are located on previous dig sites with varying degrees of disturbance. These sites were chosen because they reveal the presence of pegmatite structures. Sites 001, 002, and 003 on Silver Microcline Claim experienced very little fire damage during the Hayman fire and are only slightly disturbed by previous digging. The vegetation is scattered, mature ponderosa pine, mountain mahogany, and a few wax currant. The primary grasses are bunch grasses. Additionally, some kinnikinick is scattered throughout the pine understory. Site 004 on the Three Point Claim is a previously heavily disturbed area. Primary vegetation includes a couple small ponderosa pine, some mountain mahogany, and bunch grasses. There are a few yucca becoming established in the old digs, and on the fringe near the draw, a few aspen are recovering from the Hayman fire. The adjacent area was burned. Insufficient vegetation and the disturbance created a partial fire barrier to vegetation to the west. Site 005 on the Silver Microcline is just west of a previous prospect on the Blue Smoky Mine. About half of the timber is fire killed. The timber lower in the draw (off the dig site) is relatively undamaged. Vegetation consists of aspens, Douglas fir, and ponderosa pine. Some kinnikinick is interspersed amongst bunch grasses. Sites 006, 007, 008, and 009 on the Silver Microcline are on an exposed east - facing slope. There are a couple mature ponderosa pines, which will likely not be removed as the prospects are adjacent to them. The predominant shrub is widely scattered mountain mahogany. Bunch grasses are well established over much of these sites. Areas on all these sites were previously disturbed. Site 010 on the Hilltop claim is a former dig and is largely devoid of vegetation and located on/beside a rock outcrop. A couple aspens have reestablished themselves on the fringes of this site along with kinnikinick. Additionally, typical succession plants such as mullein are present as well as some penstemon. Sites 011, 012, 013, and 014 on the Hilltop claim are on the crown of the hill. All three are previous dig sites, with 013 showing the most disturbance. Mostly small aspens occur on all three sites along with some ponderosa and small Douglas firs. Bunch grasses are the primary grass. Site 014 is the least disturbed and has the heaviest grass cover. Site 015 on the Hilltop. This site is on the south edge of the crown of the hill and is a previous dig site. Vegetation consists of widely scattered mature ponderosa pines and mountain mahogany. Undisturbed areas are thickly carpeted with bunch grasses. Site 016 on the Suzie Blue is an existing trench on the north side of the hill in relatively dense timber. The timber consists mostly of Douglas fir with a few ponderosa pine. Kinnikinick is predominant and bunch grasses are widely scattered and thin due to the conifer canopy. D (e- te_ Y/11/1 5' J Vj__> Sites 017 — 022 are all on the Hilltop claim on the northwest side of a ridge which was heavily burned by the Hayman fire. All six sites have minor hand -dug pits from previous field collectors. Aspens have regenerated and are present on all sites. Some Douglas fir seedlings have also sprouted and are now about 3 inches tall. Other shrubs include mountain mahogany, wax currant, meadow rose and chokecherry. Bunch grasses and kinnikinick are widely scattered throughout the understory.