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1.o Introduction
<br /> Anfield Resources Holding Corp (Anfield) has plans to mine its mineral interest within the Slick Rock
<br /> development area,which is located in southwestern Colorado in San Miguel County.The project area is
<br /> entirely located within lands managed by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management (BLM)Tres Rios Field
<br /> Office. Specifically the project is located in Township 44 North, Range 18 West, Sections 15, 16, 19, 20,
<br /> 21, 22, 23, 24,25, 26, 27, 28,29, 30, 32,33, and 34 and in Township 43 North, Range 18 West, Sections 3,
<br /> 4,and 5.The purpose of this report is to document the presence of wildlife and plant species of concern
<br /> to aid in project planning and to allow for compliance with federal and state laws and regulations
<br /> including, but not limited to, the Endangered Species Act(ESA),the Migratory Birt Treaty Act (META),
<br /> the Federal Land Policy and Management Act(FLPMA),the National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA),
<br /> and the Colorado State Wildlife Action Plan.
<br /> 2.0 Proposed Project
<br /> Anfield anticipates drilling activities to guide the eventual reopening of the underground uranium and
<br /> vanadium mine.As illustrated in Figure 2,there are a total of 27 drill holes with associated access roads
<br /> that would be utilized during the initial phases of the project. In later phases of the project, additional
<br /> surface disturbance would occur for structures,a water treatment facility,and two vent shafts.
<br /> 3.o Environmental Setting
<br /> 3.1 Location and Landform
<br /> The Slick Rock Uranium Mine project area is in the northern portion of Disappointment Valley, located
<br /> about 65 miles west of Telluride, Colorado.The project area is located in the Uravan Mineral Belt which
<br /> includes Slick Rock, Gypsum, Valley, Uravan, and the Gateway mining districts. The project consists of
<br /> two parcels,the west parcel,—1,110 acres in size,and the east parcel,—50o acres in size.The west parcel
<br /> is bisected by State Highway 141 and occurs just north of the Dolores River. A portion of Joe Davis
<br /> Canyon, unimproved roads, and historic mining prospect holes dot the area. The east parcel has a
<br /> gentler slope which rises towards the north to small hills and sandstone rock outcrops, while the west
<br /> parcel, located just north of the Dolores River Canyon supports a more undulating topography.
<br /> Disappoint Valley is one of several northwest to southeast trending valleys in the region that formed
<br /> from the collapse of ancient salt domes. The elevation of the project area ranges from a low of 5,700
<br /> feet to a high of 6,040 feet.The current land use is cattle grazing.
<br /> 3.2 Plant Communities
<br /> The project area is located within the Shale Deserts and Sedimentary Basin Ecoregion of the Colorado
<br /> Plateau(Chapman et al, 20o6).This ecoregion consists of nearly level basins and valleys, benches, low
<br /> rounded hills, badlands, and rock outcrops. The ecoregion is a cold desert with hot summers, cold
<br /> winters,and limited precipitation.The following text describes the various plant communities observed
<br /> and their dominant floristic composition. Forfurther information on plant communities in Colorado,the
<br /> reader is referred to(Decker et al.2020).
<br /> Juniper Woodland & Savanna
<br /> Utah Juniper(Juniperus osteosperma)woodlands and savannah are found on the higher elevations of
<br /> the project area often amongst sandstone outcrops. Common plant associates include snakeweed
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