PERMFILE57283

• Permit No: C1992080
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 12/11/2001
• Doc Name: BASELINE VEGETATION INVENTORY
• Section_Exhibit Name: APPENDIX 4-6 VEGETATION BASELINE INVENTORY 1982-83 A
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

• 2.9 TIME OF SAMPLING
All quantitative data were collected in July 1983.
2.10 SPECIES DIVERSITY
Species/lifeform diversity was calculated for each study area by deter-
mining the number of species having a relative cover exceeding 3 percent and
grouping these by lifeform.
2.11 RANGE CONDITION AND CARRYING CAPACITY
Range site descriptions from the Southern Rocky Mountains Land Resource
Area of the Soil Conservation Service 15C5 1963, 19751 were reviewed along with
vegetation Icover and production) information from the 1983 field program.
Those range sites most applicable to the study area were selected. The percent
of original vegetation composition present in each range site was estimated
based on the 1983 field cover and production data. The appropriate range
condition of each range site was then estimated based on the percent of original
vegetation composition present as follows: 0 to 25 percent--"poor"; 25 to
50 percent--"fair"; 50 to 75 percent--"good"; and 75 to 100 percent--"excellent."
Carrying capacity for cattle was determined from the 1983 herbaceous production
• estimates assuming a 50 percent utilization of forage, an oven-dry weight to
air-dry weight conversion factor of 1.11, and an animal unit monthly air-dry
forage requirement of 900 pounds.
2.12 AGENCY COORDINATION
In September of 1982, Mike Savage and Ed Bischoff of CMLRD, Paul Wynn and
Jim Hendricks of Pueblo Coal, Terry Schulz of Pioneer Engineering, and David
Buckner of WRD met in the field on the Carbon Junction site to discuss recTi-
fying deficiencies in vegetation information in an application submitted by
Pueblo Coal for a permit to mine. It was decided that it would be necessary
to gather quantitative vegetation data and threatened/endangered plant informa-
tion in subsequent studies. It was determined by CMLRD that it was too late in
the year to sample the woody communities but the primarily herbaceous old field
community could still be sampled in 1982. N'ith technical assistance from
WRD, Pioneer Engineering and Pueblo Coal untlertook the old field sampling and
data analysis and submitted a report on that vegetation type to CMLRD. It
should be noted that it was agreed that the old field was not to be returned
to the postmining landscape so no reference area was located and sampled for
that type.
For the remaining vegetation of the site (Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, Pinyon-
Juniper Caprock, and Mountain Shrublandl, the necessary studies were stipulated
as a condition of permit issuance. These studies were undertaken by WRD,
although Pueblo Coal supplied fieltl assistance.
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