2025-08-01_PERMIT FILE - C1981019

• Permit No: C1981019
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 8/1/2025
• Section_Exhibit Name: Rule 2 Permits -ST
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

RULE 2 PERMITS

South Taylor – Rule 2, Page 31 Revision Date: 7/21/25
Revision No.: MR-267
• Colowyo Coal Company Permit C-81-019 - Application for Permit Renewal/Permit Revision -
Mining – Section 2.04.10 (Colowyo Coal Co., 1991)
• Vegetation Inventory of the Danforth Hills Project, Rio Blanco County Colorado (by Harner and
Associates, Inc. for Consolidation Coal Company, January, 1985) (see Exhibit 10, Item 5);
• Production Evaluation for the Sagebrush and Mountain Shrub Reference Areas – Greystone
Environmental Consultants (1999);
• Color aerial photographs (Scale: 1” = 2,000’) taken in September 1997;
• Digital 1.5 meter-resolution true color remote sensing imagery exposed in the summer of 2002;
and
• Digital 0.5-meter resolution color-infrared remote sensing imagery exposed in September of
2005.

The delineated vegetation community types described in this section and indicated on Map 4 of the
existing permit document were used as the basis of the general vegetation inventory. The Consolidation
Coal Company report (January 1985) (Exhibit 10, Item 5) and color aerial photos were used in
combination as the basis for delineating the various vegetation community types within the South
Taylor/Lower Wilson permit revision area. In areas not covered by the Consolidation Coal Company
report (January, 1985) aerial imagery was used to delineate vegetation community type by interpreting
slope, aspect, coloration, and texture variability throughout the landscape and based on the knowledge of
vegetation community types typical of the region surrounding the East, West, and Section 16 mining
areas. Data collected by Greystone in 1999 was used for comparison of productivity in the sagebrush and
mountain shrub reference areas in Figures 2.04.10-8 and 2.04.10-10. The delineated community types
were digitally transferred to a base topographic map covering the permit revision area. The location and
distribution of vegetation community types in the extended Permit Area are shown on the updated Map 4.

It is important to note that on permit revision area mapping, impacts generally south of the Rio Blanco /
Moffat Co. line will utilize vegetation interpretations from the 1985 Danforth Hills study. Impacts on
areas north of the Rio Blanco / Moffat Co. line and west of Sections 9 and 16 will utilize vegetation
studies and mapping developed by Cedar Creek Associates, Inc. for work on both the Lower Wilson and
Collom projects (2005). The remaining quadrant (Sections 9, 16, and areas to the north and east) will
utilize original Colowyo vegetation mapping.

South Taylor Study Area

Detailed Vegetation Information – In 1984, detailed vegetation information and data were collected by
performing a baseline vegetation survey within a study area that encompassed 9,725 acres containing the
South Taylor mining area. Site specific information included the following:

• Detailed spatial distribution of vegetation communities;
• Plant species composition;
• Vegetation ground cover by species;
• Vegetation above ground biomass (production);

• Woody plant density; and,
• Presence/absence of rare, threatened, or endangered plant species or other important species.

Introduction – The objective of this section is to describe general vegetation community types (floral
assemblages) and their distribution within the South Taylor Study Area to facilitate extrapolation to, and
an update of, the remainder of the permit revision area (6,050 acres). To support this objective,
vegetation data are provided in sufficient detail to formulate a revegetation plan and facilitate