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2.05.5 <br />2.05.5 Postmining Land Uses <br />(1) Surface Coal Mining Activities - Not applicable. <br />(2) Underground Mining Activities <br />(a) The premining land use of the area to be disturbed by the surface facilities is <br />rangeland, wildlife habitat and industrial. The postmining land use of the <br />area will be the same, rangeland, wildlife habitat and industrial. The <br />premining land use of the area to be disturbed by the loadout is cropland, <br />pastureland and industrial. The postmining land use of the loadout area will <br />be the same, cropland, pastureland and industrial. <br />Most of the area to be disturbed is rangeland and wildlife habitat. The two <br />major vegetation communities to be disturbed are Juniper Woodland and <br />Mixed Shrub. The absolute cover of perennial grasses and grasslikes is <br />0.3% and 2.4% for these two communities respectively (1995 Baseline <br />Vegetation Report tables B1 & B2). <br />Most of the area to be disturbed in the West Mine expansion area is <br />rangeland and wildlife habitat. The only planned disturbance for the West <br />Expansion will be due to drilling of gob vent bore holes, and will therefore be <br />fairly minimal. The three major vegetation communities to be disturbed are <br />meadow/pastureland, Pinyon Juniper, and Aspen. The absolute cover for <br />grasses and grasslikes is 0.3% and 2.4% for these two communities, <br />respectively (1995 Baseline Vegetation Report tables, B1 & B2). <br />Habitats in the Spruce Stomp lease by application area are dominated by <br />mountain shrub communities, primarily Gambel oak, on south -facing slopes, <br />with aspen, spruce -fir, and grasses as the next three dominant cover types <br />by acreage. There are smaller areas of other mountain shrubs and Douglas - <br />fir, with very small areas of sagebrush and juniper within the lease by <br />application area. Riparian habitat is dominated by blue spruce which typically <br />contains limited populations of narrowleaf cottonwood and willows, including <br />strapleaf, mountain or whiplash willow (USFS, 2013a). Riparian vegetation <br />along Terror Creek within the lease by application area contains substantial <br />PR -14 2.05 -84- 03/14 <br />