2017-09-28_REVISION - M1981185 (155)

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K ENVIRONMENTAL AND ENGINEERING SERVICES STRATEGICALLY POSITIONED-TECHNICALLY PREPARED ). ERICH RAUBER.P.E. MAY DAY IDAHO MINE COMPLEX WILDCAT MINING CORPORATION ORIGINAL 112(d) PERMIT EXHIBIT J Vegetation Information Rule 6.4.10 6.4.10 Introduction The May Day Idaho Mine Complex lies within an intricate mosaic of mixed coniferous and deciduous forest vegetation types. This landscape is predominantly mixed coniferous (Douglas fir dominant with ponderosa pine, limber pine, and white fir present) and aspen forest with a moderately dense mountain shrub layer (gambel oak, snowberry, Utah juneberry, western mountain maple, serviceberry) and under - story of grasses and herbs. The La Plata River riparian zone of cottonwood and blue spruce trees with a willow and wild berry shrub mid -story traverses through a small section of the southwestern portion of its approximately 275 -acre permit area. The climate of this western slope of southwest Colorado in the Rocky Mountains consists of cool, moder- ately dry summers and cold winters with snowpack (Exhibit K). The site is within the montane elevation (8,000 to 10,000 feet above m.s.l.) and is relatively warm (46°F mean annual temperature) and dry (18" annual precipitation; Exhibit K). This region of the western slope of the southwestern Colorado Rocky Mountains is a transition zone between the ponderosa pine cool and the moist mixed conifer. In addition, on a smaller scale, this site is also a transition zone between the lower (foothills) and higher (subalpine to alpine) elevation aspects of mountain vegetation types, with elements of both. The wildlife present is typ- ical to the steep slopes, mid -montane elevation, and transition between the upper foothill and subalpine habitats (Exhibit H). The surrounding landscape and within the permit area is relatively undisturbed by human development and therefore the vegetation is native and forms a healthy, natural ecosystem with a high degree of natural resources. Human disturbance present includes current and historic mining, limited recreational hunting, and historic timber logging operations. Evidence of past forest fires was found, but not recent. The ma- jority of the area is in late successional condition. The small community of Mayday is located to the west, across the La Plata River. Most of the surrounding property is public land under jurisdiction of the U.S. Forest Service, San Juan National Forest, Columbine Ranger District (Exhibit E, Section 6.4.5(2)(b)). Further evidence of the health of this native forest ecosystem is the abundance of aspen, both relatively solid aspen groves and aspen mixed with coniferous forest. Aspen has long been recognized as an im- portant indicator of ecological integrity and ecological biodiversity in the western United States (Kay, Sunrise Mining, LLC 112(4) permit— May Day and Idaho Mine and Mill APPlication Revised: August 10, 2017