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:~ ; = • ~ iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii <br />STATE OF COLORADO <br />DIVISION OF MINERALS AND GEOLOGY ~ ! <br />Department of Natural Resources <br />1313 Sherman 51., Room ? 15 <br />Denver, Colorado 80203 <br />Phone: (303) 866-3567 <br />FAX: (303) 8328106 <br />DATE: <br />TO: <br />FROM: <br />RE: <br />October 10, 2000 <br />Harry Ranney ^ <br />Dan Mathews [g-~//(J,I~..~ <br />New Horizon Vegetation Sampling <br />RECEIVED <br />OCT 12 2000 <br />Division of Minerals 8 Geology <br />DIVISION O F <br />MINERALS <br />GEOLOGY <br />RECLAMATION <br />MI NING•SAFETY <br />Bill Owens <br />Governor <br />Greg E Watcher <br />Execulrve Director <br />Michael B. Lang <br />Division Director <br />f met Jeff Hahn of Intermountain Resource Inventories Inc. (IRI), SoiWegetation consultant for Wes[em <br />Fuels Association (WFA) at New Horizon Mine last Thursday, Oct. 5, at 10 am. Purpose of the visit was to <br />observe bond release vegetation sampling procedures within New Horizon 1 rangeland parcels IA and IB, <br />and the new dryland reference area on the Nucla Airport property. Because the rangeland parcels at New <br />Horizon 1 qualify as previously mined lands subject to 4.15.10, reclaimed and reference area sampling was <br />limited to point intercept cover sampling. Reclaimed parcel sampling had been completed the previous <br />day. Although I did not observe sampling on the reclaimed areas, i did walk through portions of the <br />sampled areas with Mr. Hahn, who described the sampling procedure employed. Mr. Halm had initiated <br />sampling within the airport reference area the previous afternoon, and the reference area sampling was <br />resumed during my site visit. <br />For the cover sampling, IRI had fabricated a tripod mounted sampling device, which functions as a 10 point <br />frame, using a laser pointer tl>at slides along a bar, widr 10 notches at regularly spaced intervals. The <br />device allows for objective, unbiased data collection. The tripod is set up at 10 foot intervals along a 100 <br />foot transect, with I cover reading taken from each of 10 vertical laser sightings per tripod setting. The <br />tripod is set up with the "laser bar" exending perpendicular to the transect. 100 cover readings (bare <br />ground, litter, rock, or plant species) are recorded on each transect. Tmnsect starting Ipoinls were <br />predetermined by a randomized grid method and located on a reap prior to initiation of sampling, and <br />Vansect rnmpass orientations were pre-selected using a random number generator. S'arnpling adequacy <br />using DMG recommended adequacy formula was obtained within each of the two rangeland sampling <br />parcels. The sampling procedure described should yield data acceptable for bond release success <br />demonstration. <br />Sampling Block lA is comprised of three parcels. Jeff' Hahn and i walked the middle parcel, which is <br />dominated by the cool season grasses crested wheatgrass (Agropvron cristarunr) and Russian wildrye <br />(E(ymus junceus), with lesser amounts of the warm season grass, blue grams (Bouteloua graci(is). <br />Fourwing shallbush (Atriplex canescens) and rubber rabbilbrush (Chrysorhamnus nnuseousus) sluvbs are <br />also present. Most grasses exhibited significant recent vegetative growth, resulting from late summer and <br />fall rains. Mr. Hahn indicated That Black lA perennial vegetation cover sample nrcan was 27%. <br />Sampling Block IB is comprised of a single large parcel. The block contains hilly terrain with <br />considerable variation in slope, aspect, and substrate; wish surface "soil" ranging from relatively duck <br />reddish sandy loam topsoil, to gray, shales spoil, and some areas of black carbonaceous shale or coals <br />material. In general, the areas of gay shale are dominated by rubber mbbitbruslr with varying levels of <br />grass understory, while grosses are dominant in the topsoiled areas. Annuals or patches o(bare ground <br />were prevalent in the scattered areas with carbonaceous material at the surface. Mr. Hahn indicated that <br />Block 1B perennial cover sample mean was 21%. Several patches of the noxious species. Russian <br />knapweed (Centaureo repens) were observed in Ole western portion of the block. The knapvveed was green <br />and robust in appearance, and would be susceptible to herbicide application at this time. 1 recommended to <br />Ross Gupka of WFA, at the conclusion of the visit, that the knapvveed sllDUld be sprayed as soon as <br />