PERMFILE53717

• Permit No: C1992081
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 6/19/2006
• Doc Name: Reference Area Excerpts
• Section_Exhibit Name: Tab 20 Attachment 20-2
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

~~ Vern Pfannensti el (April 6, 1983), additional baseline data collection ryas undertaken by
Western Resource Development Company (WRDC) during the summer of 1983.
In 1985, public comment from local individuals and a request by Routt County necessitated
the relocation of a portion of the tie across haul road. The majority of the relocated
alignment involved cropland with soils and management practices similar to that found in
the original alignment corridor. A portion of the road alignment traversed several acres
of native vegetation in the approximate center of SE>,.NE>4 Section 24, TBN, R88W. This area
had not previously been sampled. Discussions on the realignment with CMLRD in the spring
of 1985 resulted in a requirement for vegetation studies to verify that the new areas of
affected native vegetation are similar to the native reference area and like native stands
previously sampled. Verification data was collected during June and July of 1985 by
Stoecker-Keammerer and Associates (S-K&A).
In the spring of 1990, ESCO Associates, lnc. (ESCO) was contracted to conduct baseline
vegetation studies in proposed permit expansion areas located north, east, and south of
the current Seneca 11-W Mine permit area. These studies were conducted in July and August
{
`.
of 1990 and are completely presented
in Appendi
x 10-9,
All
parameters were studied for
each community type occurring in the expansion area, while cover only was sampled in
similar community types within the current permit area to aid in demonstrating
comparability of the two areas. Specific reference areas were not sampled since the
extended reference area concept will be used for revegetatien success evaluations. In the
extended reference area approach, all undisturbed native vegetation within the permit area
(and proposed permit expansion area) will be used to develop a vegetation data set to be
used for comparison to the reclaimed area vegetation data set. A di5cussi On of the
extended reference area approach is presented in Tab 22 under Testing for Successful
Reclamation.
The remainder of this section and Appendices 10-1 through 10-B represent a compilation of
the data collected throughout the various studies prior to 1990, and specifically answer
the questions on baseline adequacy as detailed in the deficiency letter of December 8,
1982 from CFILRD to Seneca Coals, Ltd. (Peabody Coal Company). Appendix 10-1 contains the
portions of the deficiency letter applicable to the permit area baseline vegetation study,
the CMLRD communication of April 6, 1983, and a summary, by question of the pertinent
responses to the deficiency letter.
3