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SECTION 2.04.10 <br />VEGETATION INFORMATION <br />INTRODUCTION <br />Baseline vegetation sampling was conducted during the fall of 2008 and summer of 2009 on an <br />area of approximately 322.18 acres consisting of the mine disturbance vegetation types and <br />corresponding reference areas. The New Horizon North Mine (NHN) project area is located <br />approximately one mile north of the existing NI -12 Mine area, and about three miles to the <br />northwest of the town of Nucla, Montrose County, Colorado. All of the lands within the mine <br />area are located in the west half of Section 25, Township 47 North, Range 16 West. The NHN <br />Mine area is located to the north of Montrose County Road AA, to the east of Montrose County <br />Road 26.00, to west of Montrose County Road 26.50 and to the south of Montrose County Road <br />Z. In addition to the mine area, two existing vegetation reference areas were sampled. This <br />revegetation monitoring effort was prepared with the intention of satisfying the permit baseline <br />vegetation sampling requirements of the Colorado Division of Reclamation Mining and Safety <br />(DRMS) regulations. <br />METHODS <br />PLANT COMMUNITY MAPPING <br />The boundaries of the vegetation types in the NHN permit area were delineated as required in <br />Section 2.04.10(1) which requires that plant communities be delineated based upon the basis of <br />visually dominant plant species. Six major plant community types were delineated within the <br />NHN Mine permit area. <br />VEGETATION SAMPLING <br />The specific sampling methodologies used in this evaluation are those found in the Division's <br />"Guidelines with Land Use and Vegetation Requirements of the Colorado Mined Land <br />Reclamation Board for Coal Mining" issued in June of 1988, the undated "Guideline for the <br />Management of Noxious Weeds on Coal Mine Permit Areas, and the "Guidelines Regarding <br />Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues" issued April 18, 1995. In addition, the existing <br />regulation formally adopted September 14, 2005 by DRMS as Rule 4.15.11 and corresponding <br />documents were used with respect to sample adequacy calculations and statistical comparisons. <br />Section 2.04. 10 Page 5 of 36 June 2016 (TR -14) <br />