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• Alluvial Valley Floors and Floodolaine A ten-acre portion of land adjacent to Fiah Creek, legally described ae T.SN., R.87W., section 36, NW~NWI~NW~, was designated as a floodplain and an alluvial valley floor (unsuitability criterion 16 and 19, respectively) in the RMP. According to 43 CFR 3461, this parcel is considered unsuitable for all or certain stipulated methods of coal mining involving surface coal mining operations es defined in 43 CFR 3400.0-5(mm) where "mining would interrupt, discontinue, or preclude farming" or where "mining could not be undertaken without eubetantial threat of lose of life or property". This definition of "surface coal mining operations" includes "activities conducted on the surface of lands in connection with a surface coal mina or surface operations and surface impacts incident to an underground mine...". The unsuitability designation includes adjacent lands that are within 300 feet of either bank of the mainstream channel. Soi The soils within the proposed lease are extremely variable, depending on parent materials, elopes, aspect and location on elopes. The Boils are formed primarily from weathered, fine- grained sandstone, shale and some siltatone with additional material derived from water deposited alluvium and windblown sands. Three major soil types are recognized in the area: cryoborolle, fine textured heavy clay looms to clays, and alluvial soils of mixed sedimentary origin. There are also steep to very steep upland soils occupying nearly barren hillsides and ridgetops. • Further detailed descriptions can be found in the Fieh Creek Tract Profile and Site Specific Analysis, 1982, and the 1984 Supplement (Bureau of Land Management, 1982, 1984). vegetation Vegetative communities that exist in the area have been defined according by range sites in the Site Specific Analysis section of the Fieh Creek Tract Profile and Site Specific Analysis, and the Supplement (Bureau of Land Management, 1982, 1984). These range sites include (in general order of dominance) agriculture (wheat), brushy loam, mountain loam, mountain meadow, aspen, and claypan. The mountain loam site occupies elopes, terraces and valleys. Slopes average between 5 and 108, but can reach 30 to 40i. The soils are fairly deep, and have a good capacity to hold water. A large percent of the soil moisture is available for plant growth. The plant composition of the Bite is 208 graeeee, Si forbe, and 75$ ehrube. The brushy loam site occupies gently rolling to steep upland slopes, ranging from 3 to 65i. It ie moderately permeable and favorable to plant growth. The plant composition of the site ranges from 15 to SOi graeeee, 10 to 15i forbe, and 40 to 70t ehrube. The mountain meadow site occurs in mountain valleys, ewalee and in open parka. The soils are moderately deep, highly organic, and poorly drained. The soil moisture is plentiful throughout the growing season in moat places, but may become dry on the surface in spots in late summer and fall. The plant composition ie 75i • graeeee, lOt forbe, and 158 ehrube.