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• • • • INTRODUCTION The "Mudfest" event was held on the private property of Calais Resources, Inc. on :iaturday September 23, 2000 in a wetland area known as the Caribou Flats Peat Bog. Calais neither approved the event, nor was Calais aware the event was planned. Snow fell during tlhe event and continued into the the evening after the event, masking much of the environmental damage caused by the event. I will not comment on the illegal nature of the event nor the number of vehicles and pimple involved, which is documented elsewhere. By Tuesday morning, September 26, 2000, a warming trend had removed the snow cover making possible these initial observations. The impacted area is at elevations ranging from about 9850 to 9930. In the Colorado Rockies, at these elevations, in late September, snow is possit~le at any time. I considered it prudent to make these observations before the damaged area was covered by additional snow. METHOD OF STUDY On Tuesday, September 26, 2000, I spent approximately six hours on foot examining the area. The damaged azea was circled and crossed a number of times on foot, both in morning and afiemoon light. Using a detailed company topographic map on a scale of 1" = 200', the most severely damaged areas were drawn relative to previously mapped land marks. Area measurements on the ]' = 200' map were made with the use of a Keuffel & Esser Canpensating Polar Planimeter. A number of photographs were also taken to illustrate damage. Some of the photographs show the contrast between the damaged and undamaged terrain. Films were developed and prints were made by a local commercial photography establishment. My field notes on the 1"= 200' map were reviewed with Mr. Thomas S. Hendricks, both in the mine office and on site in the field. SETTING Much of the Caribou Flat Peat Bog is at or very neaz the water table. Over eons of time, vegetation growth in the Peat Bog mazsh has led to the accumulation of peat; thus the name Peat Bog. Peat from the bog is reported to have been gathered and used for heating in miners' cabins in the late 1800's. Later, some peat was reported to have been gathered as a garden soil conditioner. An old abandoned crane on site is a relic of this activity. In recent decades a wide diversity of natural vegetation has slowly reclaimed the area. The Peat Bog is habitat for deer, bobcats, elk migrating from the higher elevations in fall of the year and a wide variety of small animals and birds. Included among these are the Bon;al Toad. Page 1 of 2