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1 2. General Property Location and Physical Setting Location The mine location is about 13 miles south of Meeker, Colorado in Rio Blanco County. The site is on a 6500 acre private ranch (R lazy J Ranch) belonging [o James Ritchie of Wenatchee, Washington. The land around the proposed mine site is currently used as rangeland for cattle grazing. The moss rock occurs as a series of rock slides or steep talus slopes that are unsuitable ~~ for grazing because they have no soil or vegetative cover. The flagstone occurs along nearly vertical outcrops above the rock slides on 33° slopes where there is very little soil or vegetative cover. There is at present no identified weed problem on the hillside within the proposed mine permit area. There aze scattered musk and Canada thistle plants along the access roads to the site. 1 To access the site from Meeker, turn south off Highway 13 onto ] 0's Street; cross the White River and tum right onto County Road 13; travel 9.3 miles on Road 13 to the R lazy J Ranch; continue another 3.7 miles on Road 13 and tum lefl onto atwo-track dirt road; proceed through the gate and follow the road about 0.85 miles to the base of a large rock slide. This slide and several slides to the south were included in the first area proposed for flagstone and moss rock removal. Some moss rock removal was accomplished during the 1997 season (April to September). Additional slides and a larger area of flagstone outcrops aze proposed for inclusion in the 1 12 permit area. The R lazy J Ranch is bordered on the east by the White River National Forest and the Flat `fops mountains. On the west is the Grand Hogback. The ranch lies primarily within a long north- south trending valley between the Grand Hogback and another lesser hogback formed by [lie Dakota sandstone outcrop. Other private ranches border the property on the north and south. Land administered by the U.S. Bureau of Land Management lies along most of the western boundary. ' 2