1999-10-15_GENERAL DOCUMENTS - C1994082

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Vegetation Five major vegetation community types occur within the proposed Yoast permit area. These major vegetation community types are: Mountain Brush, Sagebrush, Aspen, Steep Mountain Brush, and Western Wheatgrass/Alkali Sagebrush. Additional community types occur within the proposed permit area but at considerably smaller acreages. These additional vegetation types include: Upland and subirrigated improved pasture, mesic drainage, lands in the Conservation Reserve Program, cropland, Alkali Sagebrush/Greasewood, and Alkali Meadow. Shrub stands in the pre-mine landscape are dense and reduce the utility of the area for livestock grazing. Pre-mine densities determined from baseline sampling data are: 12,562 stems per acre in the Mountain Brush community, 7039 stems per acre in the Aspen community, and 6087 stems per acre in the Sagebrush community. All vegetation types within the permit are characterized by cool season species. Soils The proposed permit site is located in an "ustic-acidic" soil moisture regime and a "cryic-frigid "soil temperature regime. Moisture is limiting within these soils, but the soil moisture is present during the growing season as a result of the quantity and distribution of precipitation. The majority of soils found within the permit area are suitable for topsoil salvage in a depth of 0.5 to 3.5 feet. The primary limiting factor to topsoil salvage is occasional slopes in excess of 45%. Loams and clay foams are the soil types most commonly found throughout the permit area. Land Use The most dominant land use, in terms of area, in and adjacent to the mine area is rangeland. Other adjacent land uses include irrigated and dryland cropland, residential areas, coal mining, electric power generation, oil production, and recreation. The postmining land use of the Yoast Mine permit area will be primarily livestock grazing with a secondary use as wildlife habitat. Wildlife Wildlife baseline studies were conducted in 1993 and 1994. Wildlife observed included big game, upland game birds, raptors,breeding birds (song birds), and small mammals. Details of the wildlife study are located in Attachment 11-1 of the permit application. Big Game The entire Yoast permit area is classified as winter range for elk, and summer habitat for mule deer. Pronghorn were sighted on two occasions during the two year baseline monitoring period, in Sections 5 and 9, near the haul road condor. Yout Mine 13 October 19, 1999