2016-10-28_PERMIT FILE - C2010089A (3)

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the species name yields a Plant Profile. On this webpage page, there is a subsection entitled U.S. Weed Information which includes the species listed in the Weeds of the West. Species listed on this list are considered "undesirable" for purposes of forage quality in evaluating the revegetation success of the Irrigated Pasture areas on the NHN Mine. Thus, if a species is not listed under the subsection entitled U.S. Weed Information then the Characteristics section found on the left-hand portion of the page and a list of plant characteristics is consulted. As used in this report, the characteristics relative to Toxicity and the Palatable Grazing Animal in the Suitability/Use subsection were consulted. Plants possessing Toxicity characteristics of none, slight or low would be determined to be "desirable species" with respect to forage quality. The second characteristic consulted is that under the ranking for the Palatable Grazing Animal characteristic. As used herein, plant species possessing rankings of medium or high, would be considered to be classified as "desirable species" with respect to forage quality. Application of these two traits, would mean that if a species is ranked as "none, slight or low " for Toxicity and medium or high with respect to Palatable Grazing Animal, it would be classified as a "desirable species" with respect to forage quality, while all species that rank both medium or high with respect to Toxicity and low with respect to Palatable Grazing Animal would be classified as "undesirable species" with respect to forage quality. The third reference used in this determination of forage quality deals with the potential noxious species or weedy characteristics as defined by the Colorado Noxious Weed Act and corresponding Noxious Weed Management Plan posted at the Colorado Department of Agriculture's website found at http://www.colorado.gov/ag_ Therein are three lists of different noxious weeds within the state of Colorado. As used in this Permit document, any species listed on either the Colorado State List A, B or C will be considered to be an "undesirable species" with respect to forage quality for this evaluation. For example, Quackgrass is found on List B and thus due to its known deleterious properties, would have to be considered to be an "undesirable species" with respect to forage quality. The fourth series of references consulted in this determination of forage quality corresponds to the Vegetation Guideline issued by the Division in June of 1987 and includes both the original hard copy and the on-line version of this document revised in October 1988. As contained therein, 18 species are identified as "prohibited or primary noxious weeds" and 10 species are designated as "restricted or secondary noxious weeds." The second CDRMS reference consulted was the 1990 Guideline for the Management of Noxious Weeds on Coal Mine Permit Areas, which contains a list of 14 species which "are considered to be noxious weeds for the purposes of this guideline and the Coal Regulations." This definition of "desirable forage quality" will be used in the production sampling of all Dryland Pasture, Intensively Managed Irrigated Pasture and Irrigated Pasture areas on the reclaimed areas corresponding to these proposed post -mining land use types located on the NHN Mine. According to Appendix B of the Vegetation Guideline and the Noxious Weed Guideline, Field Bindweed (Convolvulus arvensis) is classified as a "prohibited or primary noxious weed" while Section 2.05.4(2)(e) Page 15 May 2015