Laserfiche WebLink
Vegetation in the methane drainage project azea is dominated by the mountain shrub <br />communities of Gambel's oak, mountain sagebrush, with minor amounts of juniper and <br />snowberry interspersed. Sagebrush, and Gambel's oak occur in isolated stands typically <br />in the lower elevations of the azea. Aspen groves also occur in the drilling azea. Various <br />grasses and other mountain shrubs occur sporadically throughout the azea and previous <br />reclaimed coal exploration roads and pads. No threatened, endangered, or candidate plant <br />species have been identified in the pad areas. Vegetation at previous coal exploration sites <br />(96-27-1, SOM 123 (S) and RAV-10) was described in a document titled, "Reclamation <br />Status Report for Mountain Coal Company, 7-23-2000, Prepazed for Barr Engineering by <br />Michael K. Ward". <br />SOILS <br />Soils vary from silty and sandy loams mainly derived from the Wasatch Formation, to <br />organic humus covering clay soils observed in the Aspen groves. A sandstone and <br />conglomerate bedrock is present throughout most of the mesas and ridges as observed <br />from the rock outcroppings. <br />Experience at previous exploration, gob vent borehole sites, and present methane <br />drainage well locations, indicates that the size of drill pads will be approximately 200' x <br />200' (approximately one acre). Previously surveyed methane drainage drilling locations <br />show a range in pad size from 0.45 acre to nearly one acre. Topsoil salvaged at the sites <br />for reclamation purposes indicates that revegetation should not be a problem in this area. <br />The revegetation of the previous drill pad sites and roads has been very successful in this <br />and in adjacent exploration areas. <br />WILDLIFE <br />The project azea is an important range for deer, elk, and beaz. Other animals in the project <br />azea include coyote, rabbit, porcupine, beaver, squirrel, mice and other rodents. The <br />proposed gob vent de-gas borehole project will be managed to avoid conflicts with the <br />deer and elk on winter range and user conflict during big game hunting season. <br />Operations will be located such as to not interfere with raptor nesting sites, including <br />Golden and Bald Eagle, and Peregrine Falcon. <br />THREATENED OR ENDANGERED SPECIES <br />Previous Threatened and Endangered and Sensitive Species (TES) clearance surveys have <br />not identified threatened or endangered plant or animal species on West Flat Iron, Dry <br />Fork, or within adjacent coal exploration areas of Ravens Gulch or Sylvester Gulch. <br />Attached to this drilling plan are two reports titled, "Threatened, Endangered and <br />Sensitive Species Drill Site Cleazance Survey for Panels 16, 17, and 175, October 2001" <br />and "Threatened, Endangered and Sensitive Species Cleazance Survey for Panels 18 <br />through 24, West Elk Mine, October 2001". The reports completed for the methane <br />drainage project drilling program are attached and the report states that none of the TES <br />