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GBEA Wagner Pit#M2023038,Owner&Operator:Twin Buttes Land Co LLC 04/10/2024,Page 12 of 65 <br /> Vegetation <br /> The Soil Survey of Rio Blanco County area Colorado (1982, a SCS publication), gives a <br /> potential plant community by soil classification. Table B-1 was extracted from the Soil <br /> Survey (1982). Each plant species listed for a particular soil was defined as part of the <br /> potential plant community. No definition was provided for a potential plant community. <br /> Powell (1996) offers a definition of a Potential Natural Community, and we quote: <br /> "Potential Natural Community (PNC): biotic community that <br /> will presumably be established and maintained over time under <br /> present environmental and climatic conditions; early- or mid- <br /> seral species are scarce or absent in a plant composition." <br /> Also see Barrow (1995) for a discussion of seral stage and succession in a sagebrush- <br /> grassland <br /> Further, each plant species was defined as dominate or common, verses smaller <br /> amounts or less common. <br /> Table 13-1. Plant community. <br /> Wagner Pit#M2023038,Potential Plant Community <br /> Abundance <br /> 5o8 Ecobgkal Land Plant Type Common name Scientific Less <br /> ske Capability Dominate common <br /> as Pinus edulis, Junipers osteosperma <br /> w Tree Canopy Phyon and Juniper and/orscopulonxn x <br /> E c Mountain Mahogany Cercocarpus montanus x <br /> 8 ill c 27, v Shrubs Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentate x <br /> r. <br /> Y!n, 3 UtahServlceberry Amelanchier utahensis x <br /> c o.N m Bitterbrush Purshia tndentata x <br /> gi c <br /> p <br /> a, 3 u c •g' Fortis or Semi Shrub Stemless Mock Goldenweed Stenotus acaulis x <br /> c ^ <br /> E,n, 'o Indian Ricegrassrn Achnathen hymenoides x <br /> c o f o g, 2 Needle and Thread Hesperostipa comata x <br /> a Grass Western Wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii x <br /> Bottlebrush Squirreka8 Elymus etymoides x <br /> O Beardless Wheatgrass(bluebunch) Pseudoroegnerfa spicata ssp.inermis x <br /> �,y . Greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus x <br /> c c °o c Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentate x <br /> MEQi y� <br /> k °s .- <br /> 2 Shrubs Winterfat Krascheninnilcovia terata x <br /> c u E'�m Encameria nauseosa, Chrysothamnus <br /> a Rubber or Douglas Rabbtbrush v/s�dif/orus x <br /> m <br /> o o a mShadscale Atriplex confertifolla x <br /> Ag 2_11 E'fel Nevada Bluegrass Poa secundus(alternate P.nevadensis) x <br /> a; I Is 0 Grass Westem Wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii x <br /> co <br /> Bottlebrush Squhreka8 Elymus elymoides x <br /> Sources: <br /> Soil Survey of Rio Blanco County Area Colorado,Issued May 1982,USDA,SCS(NRCS),BLM <br /> https://websollsurvey.nrcs.usda.gov Accessed February 2024 <br /> On February 11, 2024, Great Basin Environmental visited the pit with the owner and a <br /> general observation of the plant species was made. Due to the winter conditions, forbs <br /> and grasses that may be present outside of the winter season were not observed. <br /> The north facing slope is dominated by a sagebrush community and associated grasses <br /> such as western wheatgrass, with a grove of pinyons on the east end of the ridge <br /> (polygon B-1, Map B-2). The north slope generally has healthy soil as evidenced by the <br /> vegetation. South facing slopes are dominated by rabbitbrush,greasewood,some <br /> B5 <br /> Exhibit B,Wagner Pit Site Description,Great Basin Environmental&Aquatics <br />