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.z III IIIIIIIIIIIII III 999 PREMINING INVENTORY FOR THE ROCKCASTLE COAL MINE In both the reconnaissance survey and the premining inventory, a search for toxic, noxious, or rare and endangered plant species will be made. The vegetation types on the area to be mined will be outlined on an air photo with a scale of 1" to 400'. ~. ~~ The permit area that will be disturbed will involve a to al~f acres. There appear to be three major vegetation types: A~ ,Mountain Brush, and Sagebrush. In each of the three vegetatio~n°~ es, an occular reconnais- sance will be conducted and inventory param~~~~s will be sampled according to the regulations prescribed by the Colo~rqac~~lined Land Reclamation Board. A 2-acre area representative of each veladYation type that will not be disturbed will be indentified and measured fo~ eVVach premining inventory parameter (refer- 0 ence area). Comparative~~~,~urements will be made on proposed disturbed areas. The permit areas a~~~P~&wn on the accompanying map will have from six to eight cluster plo~~`reas for each vegetation type. From four to five acres within eactf~c'Cu~er area will be sampled for plant cover and current biomass. Within each cluster area, from six to twelve samples will be taken depending upon variability among samples. This variability will determine the number of plots necessary to meet the requirements for obtaining a mean that will ~. v detect a 10 percent reduction or increase at a ,Y6 percent probability for grasses and forbs. Similarly, sufficient numbers of samples will be taken s. o to determine the density of each major woody species at a ~ percent pro- bability of detection, and 10 percent change in the mean value. Biomass for herbaceous plants (grasses and forbs) will be obtained by har- vesting 1m2 plot and percent plant composition will be determined by point transacts by use of a 50-foot steel tape stretched between two steel pegs