2020-03-24_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (2)

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RULE 2 PERMITS Area. The referenced "Study Area" is a specific delineation within the overall Lower Wilson Area that incorporates all disturbances plus a buffer to facilitate modest engineering flexibility and encompasses an area of 918 acres (Map 4B). Of this total, 896 acres are located in the main southern mining block with 22 acres occurring to the north at the Wilson Creek haul road crossing to facilitate coal transport to the Gossard load -out facility. The total acreages and percentage of each vegetation type identified within the study areas and potential disturbance areas of the Lower Wilson Mining Area and North Haul Road Crossing are presented in Table 2.04.10-8. The vegetation areas delineated are shown on Map 4B. A mine plan has not been fully developed for the Lower Wilson mining area; therefore, disturbance areas are not shown on Map 4B. Prior to conducting any mining activities in the area, a mine plan will be submitted to the Divisionfor review and approval. A total of six vegetation community types were identified from the Lower Wilson Study Area and include: 1) Mountain Shrub (both xeric and mesic subtypes), 2) Sagebrush (both xeric and mesic subtypes), 3) Aspen Woodland, 4) Juniper Scrub, 5) Grassland, and 6) Bottomland. The bottomland type is comprised of a variable mixture of sagebrush, grassland, mountain shrub, riparian woodland, and small stream side wetland communities that exist intermittently along the historic floodplain of Wilson Creek. These community extensions into the alluvial/colluvial drainage bottom soils have been segregated from their upland progenitors and renamed (as bottomland) because of the typical increase in productivity characteristic of this geomorphic landform. A very small amount of dry -land cropland is included in the northern 22 -acre segment of the Study Area (Wilson Creek haul road crossing). This cropland is planted to winter wheat in alternating years (average of 30 bushels/ac/yr) and is fallow when not planted to wheat. This field was fallow in 2005. Also, two very small stock tank watering facilities (stock ponds) occur in the study area but are largely devoid of vegetation due to livestock / wildlife trampling. General Background - Because this evaluation of vegetation was designed to support and extend previous vegetation studies (as a permit revision), a complete baseline of vegetation resources was determined to be unnecessary by both Colowyo representatives and the Division. In this regard, it was determined that baseline data should be collected from one community type which may be impacted, but has not been quantified in the existing permit. Available options in this regard were the juniper scrub, grassland, or bottomland communities. Given preliminary review of aerial imagery in comparison to the mine plan, it appeared that the juniper scrub community would not be impacted by the Lower Wilson project and impacts would be modest for the bottomland and grassland types. Because bottomland disturbances would simply involve road construction the grassland community was selected for sampling and reference area establishment. In addition to formal sampling of the grassland community and reference area, it was deemed appropriate to collect supplemental ground cover data from the remaining more dominant types to facilitate correlation with historic data. All data were collected from July 18 through 20, 2005 by Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. of Fort Collins, Colorado. In addition to these data collection efforts, it was determined that the original vegetation community mapping should be upgraded to facilitate more accurate impact analyses and reclamation planning. Methodology — The following is a description of methodology used in determining and delineating vegetation communities within the Lower Wilson Study Area. CommunitType Mapping - Vegetation mapping information was developed based on the following sources: Colowyo Coal Company Permit C-81-019 - Application for Permit Renewal/Permit Revision - Mining - Rule 2.04.10 (Colowyo Coal Co., 1991), Vegetation Inventory of the Danforth Hills Project, Rio Blanco County Colorado (by Harrier and Associates, Inc. for Consolidation Coal Company, January, 1985) (see Exhibit 10, Item 5); Aerial color photographs (Scale: 1" = 2,000') taken in September 1997; South Taylor/Lower Wilson — Rule 2, Page 48 Revision Date: 4/7/17 Revision No.: RN -07