GENERAL42799 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

Mr. Donald A. Crane Mr. Dean Massey July 16, 1980 Page 3 The mine plan application has not differentiated the soil/vege- tative association differences between the brushy aspen community on soils 70D and/or 70F and the more open aspen community on soil XBD. As mentioned previously, the difference is reflected through the re- sponse of the vegetation, enough to warrant the designation of two distinct aspen communities. Therefore, additional sampling is needed in order to properly identify these two communities. The vegetation sampling conducted in 1979 indicates only one sample on the aspen community that it utilized by the elk for calving. The remaining samples were collected on the aspen community with deeper soils and denser brush. Additional sampling (production, cover and diversity) is necessary to develop vegetative criteria for relocat- ing the elk calving ground and to establish the necessary reference areas for monitoring the revegetation success. The soil sampling appears to be adequate, but should be reviewed by each individual soil pit to determine the extent of the shallow soil with the imper- meable layer. Stipulation Ifl requires the collection of vegetative information to evaluate the differences described above." In order to collect the vegetation information necessary to quantify the apparent differences in the aspen vegetation types found on soil types 70 and X8, a complete soil-vegetation study was performed on the aspen range site growing within the Eckman Park Per- mit area during June and July of 1980. Specifically, adequate vegetation information adequate to con- duct a dissimilarity statistical analysis on vegetative differences between the aspen communities growing on soil unit Winevada-Splitro (BXD, 8XF), and soil unit Skyway (70D, 70F) with regard to plant production, cover and diversity was collected. A brief discussion on the soils, methods and results of the study is presented below. Aspen in Relation to Soil Types P1uch of the planned coal mining activities at the Energy Fuels mine will occur on aspen forest habitat and within potential elk calving areas. The purpose of this study is to obtain vegetative information associated with the soil type of the elk calving ground (type X8) and to compare this with aspen communities on other soils (type 70) in the mine plan area which appear to be suitable as elk calving areas. The Study Area The study area is located on a north-facing ridge slope between