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West Elk Mine <br />1996 Svlvester Gulch Facilities Area Vegetation Conznzunity Samnlin <br />MCC constructed new surface facilities within Sylvester Gulch approximately one mile south of <br />State Highway 133. Facilities were constructed on engineered cuts and fills within the Sylvester <br />Gulch drainage bottom and toe and sideslopes. Since this expansion was not anticipated during the <br />initial permitting of the mine, baseline sampling of the undisturbed vegetation communities present <br />within the area proposed for disturbance was required by CDMG. <br />Vegetation conununities were identified through aerial photography and field reconnaissance. <br />Within the Sylvester Gulch drainage, the major vegetation communities to be affected in the <br />facilities expansion aze the oakbrush, aspen, dry meadow, and riparian communities. The Douglas <br />fir vegetation community is anticipated to be impacted to a minor degree, with disturbance of this <br />community affecting less than five percent of the affected mining azea. General descriptions of the <br />vegetation communities sampled in 1996 follow. For a complete discussion of the sampling <br />undertaken in 1996, refer to Exhibit 32A. <br />1996 Oakbrush Samnlin <br />The general composition of the oakbrush community was that of a multiple storied low forest. The <br />stories were composed of a tree or tall shrub component (>3 meters in height), a medium height (1-2 <br />meter) shrub component, and a low herbaceous graminoid and forb component. The upper canopy <br />was dominated by Quercus gambelii with occasional Amelanchier alnifolia, and. Prunus virginiana <br />individuals. present in the canopy. The medium-height shrub understory was dominated by <br />j Amelanchier alnifolia, Prunus virginiana, and Symphoricazpos rotundifolius. Occasional Rosa <br />woodsii (Wood's rose), and Swida sericea (red osier dogwood) individuals were encountered in this <br />layer. Mahonia repens (Oregon grape), and Poa pratensis dominated the lowest stratum of the <br />community. Fifteen herbaceous forb species were encountered within the lowest layer of the <br />community. <br />Four life-forms were encountered during the sampling of the oakbrush community. They included <br />graminoids, forbs, woody shrubs, and trees. Twenty-nine individual plant species were identified <br />during sampling. Four species were graminoids> fifteen were forbs, eight were shrubs, and two <br />were trees. Of the species encountered, al] were perennial. All graminoid species encountered were <br />identified as cool season. Fourteen of the fifteen forbs were cool season, with Solidago occidentalis <br />(goldenrod) being warm season. Woody species were divided in morphologic type, with seven <br />being deciduous and three being evergreen. Twenty-seven species were native in origin and two <br />were introduced. None of the species encountered were designated noxious weed species. The <br />plant species encountered and their chazacteristics are presented in Table 1. <br />1996 Aspen Sampling <br />Aspen communities within the Sylvester Gulch study area were composed of dominant Populus <br />tremuloides trees forming an open canopy. The understory was variable in both species dominance <br />and composition. In one sample location the overstory of Populus tremuloides was relatively dense, <br />occluding sunlight. At this location the shrub understory was nearly absent, and the low herbaceous <br />layer was weakly developed. In the majority of the locations, the canopy was more open (especially <br />I when compared with the oakbrush community) and both the understory shrub layer and the low <br />2.04-154 Revved Apn12004 PR/0 <br />