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soil leading to rill and gully erosion.. The size and slope of the bare <br />areas would deterr;ine the rate of erosion. Related to the subsidence <br />hazard is the possibility of mothane gases leaking to the surface through <br />fractures in the overburden and killing surrounding veoetat.ior,. This <br />would decrease the plant cover and could accelerate soil erosion in <br />these spots. I'.onitoring for subsidence would be conducted according to <br />30(CF~): 817.125. <br />The net effect of erosion and losses of soil and soi] compaction <br />would be a deterioration in soil structure, loss of organic ratter and <br />biotic activity, and reduction in productivity. This mould make revege- <br />tation more difficult. <br />Vegetation, <br />The major vegetative impact resulting from the proposed action <br />- t•~ould be the construction of a ventilation shar't and an access road. <br />Approximately i.o acres of the mauntain shrub vegetation type l'i0iild be <br />disturbed by 1925, r•rith no additional disturbance thereafter, i^ addi- <br />tion, a rinir<~al amount of the proven-~ur;iper/r;:ountain shrub transitional <br />type may be disturbed by the enlargement cf the refuse pile at the <br />Orchard !'alley •:ir.e, related to the proposed action. t,uch of the <br />natural vegetation in the vicinity of the refuse disposal has already <br />been disturbed by mining activities. <br />The i;,.pacts of the vegetative disturbance :,ould be an increase in <br />• SO11 erosion, a deCreaSe lr. the 1'1 SUal aesthetiCS Of the landscape, and <br />a mini,,.al loss o- ~:ildlife and livestock forage Successful reveaeta- <br />lion of the dirurbed areas is required by section 522 of S?tiRr=,. <br />A^. expected minimal, yet unquantifiable, amount of vegetative <br />disturbance may occur as a result o` subsidence over the undnrarou.^.d <br />mine workings. <br />There would be no impacts to endangered or threatened plant species. <br />tdiidlife <br />There would be fer,~ impacts on tildlife due to the proposed action <br />other than the continuation of presently ongoing impacts (chapter 2) <br />from the existing mine for the S-year mine life. <br />Construction of the ventilation shaft and access road would disturb <br />an additional i.o acres of pinyon-juniper habitat. Some wildlife could <br />be disturbed by machinery Heise and activity during actual construction <br />of the shaft and access road. Additional habitat could be disturbed by- <br />increased use o? the waste disposal sites. <br />• <br />