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J-8 <br /> Page 2 of 2 <br /> Schedio Group LLC <br /> October 17,2019 <br /> RETTEW Project No. 114782003 <br /> Vegetationper • •• found <br /> vegetationSoil Type Pounds per acre per year of Acres in Percentage <br /> produced of <br /> Loup-Boel Loamy Sands 0-3 percent Slopes 3150 133.5 4.1% <br /> Olney Loamy Sands 3-5 percent slopes 935 45.6 1.4% <br /> Osgood Sand 0-3 percent slopes 1700 946.3 29.1% <br /> Valent sand 0-3 percent slopes 1830 477.3 14.7% <br /> Valent sand 3-9 percent slopes 1973 1642.2 50.5% <br /> Playas N/A 6.0 0.2% <br /> Results <br /> The physical setting of the Site,as presented in a previous study completed by RETTEW(2019),concludes that <br /> vegetation at the Site is mainly comprised of various grasses such as Desert Saltgrass(Distichilis spicata), Indian <br /> rice grass (Oryzopsis hymenoides), Cheatgrass (Bromus tectorum), Little bluestem (Schizachyrium scoparium), <br /> Western wheatgrass(Pascopyrum smithii),and Blue grama grass(Bouteloua gracilis). Low-lying shrubs such as <br /> Sand sage (Oligosparus filifolius) and Small soapweed yucca (Yucca glauca) are also present on the Site. <br /> A significant amount of bare ground is present ranging from 30-70 percent.Trees are largely absent within the <br /> project area apart from a grove of Russian Olive(Elaeagnus angustifolia)trees in the southeast corner of Section <br /> 12(Township 2 North, Range 64 West).The Site is relatively flat with an elevation change of approximately <br /> 10 feet throughout the project area. In areas with similar climate and topography,differences in the type <br /> and amount of vegetation produced on rangeland are closely related to the types of soil present. <br /> Using the N RCS-USDA web soil survey for the Site soil type,RETTEW concluded that the Site can be expected <br /> to produce 6,185,390 pounds total forage within a normal year.Figure 1 presents the relationship of vegetation <br /> to soil type. Using the standard initial stocking rate calculations for carrying capacity, the estimated carrying <br /> capacity for the Site is 230(1,400 pound)cow-calf pairs(Attachment A). <br /> We trust this letter provides the necessary data required at this time. Please feel free to contact me by <br /> phone at (303) 800-4877 or by email at daniel.simpson@rettew.com if you should have any questions or <br /> comments regarding this letter or the enclosed information. <br /> Sincerely, <br /> Daniel Simpson <br /> Project Manager <br /> Justin Theodorakos <br /> Biologist <br /> Enclosures <br /> Z:\Shared\Projects\11478\114782003 Keenesburg Mine No. 2 Project\NS\State Mining Permit\100-Rangeland Cap <br /> Report\Report\Keenesburg Mine No 2-Vegetation Information—Final 2019-10-17.docx <br /> KETTEW <br /> Keenesburg No. 2 Mine_] 12 Reclamation Operation—November 22, 2019 <br />