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<br /> <br /> <br /> <br />PR-04, Colowyo Coal Mine C1981-019 23 August 2016 <br /> <br />Collom permit expansion area is found in Section 2.04.10 (Volume 18) and Map 4C (Volume <br />22). Six major vegetation communities and four minor community type/land uses exist within <br />the mine permit boundary. The major communities are sagebrush, mountain shrub, aspen, <br />bottomland, grassland, and juniper scrub. The minor communities identified include improved <br />pasture, cultivated land (cropland), disturbed areas, and wetlands. <br /> <br />The sagebrush community occurs throughout the permit area on all elevations, slopes and soils. <br />The community has developed wherever soil moisture retention and soil depth have become <br />limiting to other vegetation communities. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) and Snowberry <br />(Symphoricarpos oreophilus) dominate the overstory. Dominant grasses are Western wheatgrass <br />(Agropyron smithii), Mountain brome (Bromus marginatus) and Green needlegrass (Stipa <br />viridula). Major forbs include Lupine (Lupinus caudatus), Wild onion (Allium spp.), Yarrow <br />(Achillea lanulosa) and Arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorrhiza sagittata). <br /> <br />The mountain shrub community is typically found on areas of higher soil moisture and deeper <br />soils throughout the permit area. Serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia) and Gambel's oak <br />(Quercus gambelii) are the dominant overstory species in the community, with fairly dense <br />stands of Chokecherry (Prunus virginiana) occurring on north slopes and along drainages. The <br />most abundant grasses are Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratensis), Western wheatgrass and Needle <br />and thread (Stipa comata). Forbs include Lupine, Yarrow, Bedstraw (Galium spp.) and American <br />vetch (Vicia americana). <br /> <br />3.2.11 Land Use <br /> <br />Land use information is found in Sections 2.04.3, 2.05.5, and 4.16 (Volume 1 for the East Pit, <br />West Pit, Section 16 Pit, Facilities Area and Gossard Loadout, Volume 12 for South Taylor, and <br />Volume 15 for Collom expansion). This information is also illustrated on Map 17 of the PAP <br />(Volume 14). Specific findings are described in Section B, Item XIV of this document. The land <br />use of reclaimed lands is rangeland (4.16, PAP). Wildlife habitat is incidental to reclaimed <br />rangeland, as described below under Protection of Fish and Wildlife (Section B. Item XVI of this <br />document). Prior land uses within the permit area were primarily rangeland, wildlife habitat, and <br />some agriculture (not disturbed by the mining activity). Land uses in adjacent areas are <br />primarily rangeland and wildlife habitat. There is some dryland farming on level uplands, as well <br />as small areas of irrigated pasture and hay land along stream courses in the general area. <br /> <br />Pre-mining land uses for areas included in the proposed Collom permit expansion area include <br />rangeland and fish and wildlife habitat. A small area of pastureland is located within the <br />proposed Collom expansion boundary, but is not proposed to be disturbed. Pre-mining land uses <br />in the proposed Collom area are described in Sections 2.04.3, 2.05.5 and 4.16 (Volume 15), and <br />delineations of land use types are shown on Map 17 (Volume 14). Post-mining land use for the