2017-06-07_PERMIT FILE - C2010089A (2)

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surface of the roads, and those portions of the roads that are devoid of vegetation due to vehicular traffic. The total area of the Roads vegetation type as shown on Map 2.04.10-1, is 8.21 acres and this type equals 2.55 percent of the mine permit area. No mining disturbance is proposed for the existing paved and gravel roads, so the only disturbance to this vegetation type will be relative to the two existing ranch roads which occur within the mine area. DISTURBED ROAD RIGHT OF WAY For those areas within the permit area located inside of the fenced right of way, of the existing county roads, there is an area which is disturbed (prior to commencement of mining to support road construction by Montrose County), located from the edge of the road pavement or graveled shoulder to the inflection point where the road cut and fill slopes end. This entire area consists essentially of disturbed soil that has become revegetated through the natural processes of plant succession. The dominant plants growing on this vegetation type are Quackgrass and Smooth Bromegrass. Due to the relative barren conditions of many of these areas, there is a relative high abundance of weedy annuals and noxious weeds growing in these areas. The plant characteristics of this site are similar to that associated with the Dryland Pasture vegetation type described previously. The total area of the Disturbed Road Right of Way vegetation type as shown on Map 2.04.10-1, is 7.98 acres and this type equals 2.20 percent of the mine permit area. No mining disturbance will occur for the areas corresponding to this vegetation type, since they are largely outside of the existing property fence lines. RECLAIMED SPOIL This vegetation type exists on the older portions of the NHN permit area located to the north of Tuttle Draw and to the south of Montrose County Road AA. This area corresponds to the mine equipment corridor which will be used to move the mine equipment from the NI -12 Mine to the NHN Mine area. This area was mined prior to 1973. No topsoil was salvaged and the plant growth medium is mostly regraded spoil. These spoils have been leveled to AOC and area seeded with grasses, forbs and shrubs. Along the extreme northern portion of the equipment corridor subsoil was respread over some of the regraded spoil. On the spoil portions of the mine equipment corridor, the dominant plants are Rubber Rabbitbrush, an invading native shrub, and Fourwing Saltbush, a planted native shrub. In some areas, there are stands of Russian Wildrye Section 2.04.10 Page 25 of 36 June 2016 (TR -14)