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GBEA Wagner Pit#M2023038,Owner&Operator:Twin Buttes Land Co LLC 04/22/2024,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 B-1. Plant community. <br /> Wagner Pit#M2023038,Potential Plant Community <br /> Ecological Land Abundance <br /> Soil site Capability Plant Type Common name Scientific Dominate Plant <br /> common <br /> 0o Pinus edulis, Juniperus osteosperma <br /> Tree Canopy Pinyon and Juniper x <br /> I w and/or scopulorum <br /> § c Mountain Mahogany Cercocarpus montanus x <br /> c o a Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata x <br /> iti c c.0 3 v Shrubs Utah Serviceberry Amelanchierutahensis x <br /> vN w m Bitterbrush Purshia tridentata x <br /> N v .c u'E .e Forbs or Semi Shrub Stemless Mock Goldenweed Stenotus acaulis x <br /> En o .c Indian Ricegrass Achnatherum hymenoides x <br /> c o >, <br /> z0 Needle and Thread Hesperostipa comata x <br /> a Grass Western Wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii x <br /> 'n Bottlebrush Squirreltail Elymus elymoides x <br /> o Beardless Wheatgrass(bkiebunch) Pseudoroegneria spicata ssp.inermis x <br /> >, g Greasewood Sarcobatus vermiculatus x <br /> 0 Big Sagebrush Artemisia tridentata x <br /> C c 0 c <br /> N v 3._ ,n _ <br /> v m t, u 8. , Shrubs Winterfat Krascheninnikovia lanata x <br /> 4E a r, v!=° Ericameria nauseosa, Ch sothamnus <br /> v w 0,N ^ a Rubber or Douglas Rabbitbrush ry x <br /> ti° a ',-,-;19 c viscidiflorus <br /> 3 0 . `.� o, Shadscale Atriplex confertifolia x <br /> H E = a Nevada Bluegrass Poa secundus(alternate P.nevadensis) x <br /> o; o .9 0 Grass Western Wheatgrass Pascopyrum smithii x <br /> co <br /> Bottlebrush Squirreltail Elymus elymoides x <br /> Sources: <br /> Soil Survey of Rio Blanco County Area Colorado,Issued May 1982,USDA,SCS(NRCS),BLM <br /> https://websolkurvey.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 />