2020-06-25_REVISION - C1981035 (25)

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Excavation to Locate the Coal Seam Outcrop Along the East Side Slope Vegetation communities for both the bottom of the mine facilities area and the side slopes were mapped and described. There were two communities; the rabbitbrush/big sage mountain shrubland and pinyon juniper woodland. The rabbitbrush/big sage vegetation community was located within the colluvial bottom between the side slopes of the hillsides and the pinyon juniper is located exclusively on the side slopes above the colluvial bottom. Quantitative sampling was undertaken for the rabbitbrush/big sage, and a qualitative description was provided for the pinyon juniper of the side slopes. It was determined that disturbance in the pinyon juniper vegetation type would be less than three acres overall, making it a minor vegetation community under Division guidance documents, and not required to have quantitative sampling. Map King II-006 also shows the vegetation community locations and the description of the vegetation is contained in Appendix 7(1). Please see Savage and Savage, Inc. memo, Baseline Soil 8v Vegetation Survey Boundaries and Extent, December 11, 2019 at Appendix 7(2) for further discussion and a boundary and extent image of the survey area. Anticipated minor excavation to locate the coal seam outcrop along the east side slope above the stacker and south edge of the topsoil pile would be located within the The pinyon juniper vegetation community. The pinyon juniper vegetation present in the project area is comprised of an open woodland, with a discontinuous open woody overstory, scattered shrub understory and sparse herbaceous layer. Non-vegetative ground cover is a mix of conifer needles, twigs, and sandstone fragments. The disturbance proposed should not warrant concern about significant impacts to the pinyon juniper. Addition of PR-1 O Parcels (Federal Coal Lease COC-78825) PR-10 adds acreage to the PAP that was studied under the Environmental Assessment and Technical Resources Reports performed jointly by the Bureau of Land Management and the Office of Surface Mining, Reclamation and Enforcement for the Dunn Ranch Lease by Application area (coal lease COC-78825). Please see Appendix 15; Dunn Ranch LBA Area Environmental Assessment, Section 3.3, and Appendix 17; Finding of No Significant Impact, Section 9, for descriptions and conclusions concerning threatened and endangered plant species, soils and vegetation information for the parcels added by PR-10. These documents often refer to E.A. DOI-BLM-CO-SO10-2011-0074-EA which can be located in Appendix 18. Dunn Ranch LBA E.A. (King II Appendix 15, Section 3.3): "There are no plant species of concern known to occur in the surface disturbance areas of the Project Area. No additional species have been listed by either the USFWS, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, or BLM. As previously described, the Proposed Action would be a continuation of the action described in BLM and OSMRE 2017 and as such, the Proposed Action would have negligible to minor impacts to those species. Consultation with the USFWS was initiated on February 23, 2019, with a determination that the Proposed Action would not adversely affect federally listed species. The USFWS agreed with this determination and responded with a concurrence letter on April 29, 2019." GCC Energy, LLC King II Mine Section 2.04.10 Page 3 June 12, 2020 (PR-10)