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• TAB 10 <br />VEGETATION <br />Introduction <br />Tab 10, Vegetation, summarizes vegetation data collected on Peabody Coal Company's Seneca <br />II-W surface coal mine, the associated tie-across haul road, and permit expansion areas <br />adjacent to the current permit area. Seneca II-W is located south of the Town of Hayden <br />in Routt County on moderately to steeply sloping topography in the Williams Fork Mountains <br />with elevations ranging from 6800 feet (2070 m) to 8300 feet (2375 m). Elevations along <br />the haul road corridor, which connects the Seneca II-W Mine to the Colorado-Ute Hayden <br />Power Plant, range from 6400 feet (1950 m) to 6700 feet (2040 m). The vegetation maps <br />depicting the area of the current permit area and expansion area baseline vegetation <br />studies for Seneca II-W and the associated haul road are included as Exhibits 10-1 and <br />10-2. <br /> Vegetation on the Seneca II-W Mine and expansion areas consists primarily of shrub <br />• communities dominated by mountain or basin big sagebrush (Artemi sia tri dentata), snowberry <br /> (Symphori cargos oreophilus), Utah or Saskatoon serviceberry (Amelanchier <br /> alnifolia/utahensi s), and Gambel oak (Oue rcus gambelii). Aspen stands (Populu5 <br /> tremuloi des) occur on east and north aspects and in some drainages. The occurrence of <br /> aspen in these areas becomes more common as elevation increases. <br />The vegetation along the haul road corridor consists of alkali sagebrush (Artemisia <br />longi lobo), grea sewood (Sarcobatus vermiculatus), big sagebrush, and associated grasses <br />and fortis on rolling upland sites. Crass-dominated meadow communities occur along <br />drainages, and dry land wheat fields are being farmed on many of the less steeply rolling <br />uplands. <br />Vegetation 6aseli ne studies for the Seneca II-W Mine are presented as follows. Tab 10 <br />text and Appendices 10-1 through 10-7 cover the primary studies conducted on the permit <br />area and tie across haul road through 1983. Appendix 10-8 covers the 1985 verification <br />vegetation studies on the realigned portions of the tie-across haul road. Appendix 10-9 <br />contains baseline vegetation studies conducted in the 1990 permit expansion areas. The <br />. following details the history of vegetation baseline studies conducted at the Seneca II-W <br />Mine. <br />1 <br />