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• The mine site is located in a semi-arid climate with a <br />precipitation average of approximately 16.9 inches, as measured <br />annually. _The seasonal growing period varies from 90 to 110 days. <br />Vegetation consists of two type of communities surrounding <br />the site of the Golden Eagle Mine; an open pinon-juniper <br />forest/shrubland type, and a grassland community. The <br />pinon-juniper dominates the slopes above 7,200 feet while the <br />grasslands are found on the terraces and toe slopes and in the <br />bottom of the Ciruela Canyon. <br />The grassland community contains the dominant graminoid, blue <br />grams, with several additional grasses, forbs and a sedge <br />comprising the herbaceous component. Sage and snakeweed comprise <br />the woody component. Total vegetative cover is a moderate 18$, and <br />productivity is established at a moderate capacity of 565 <br />vegetative pounds per acre. <br />The pinon-juniper forest community is dominated by Pinon Pine <br />and Rocky Mountain Juniper. The understory is comprised of <br />graminoids, forbs and shrubby species, and is much higher in <br />species composition than the nearby grassland. Sideoats grams, blue <br />grams, and mountain mutely are dominant understory species. Total <br />vegetative cover is a low 10$, as is the 240 pound productivity <br />. capacity per acre. Soils in the area range from very shallow on <br />the steep slopes to deep, well drained loams which have a dark <br />colored surface layer in the valley bottom along the Purgatoire <br />River. <br />The Golden Eagle mine employs approximately 160 people, the <br />majority of whom reside in the Trinidad area, with the remainder <br />residing in the nearby towns or rural areas. No areas of unusual <br />scenic and aesthetic value exist in or near the mine plan site. <br />B. Protected Resources <br />1. Cultural, paleontological, or historic resource values: <br />According to the Colorado State Historical Preservation Office <br />no cultural, paleontological, or historic resources exist within <br />the proposed permit area. The Colorado MLRD added a stipulation <br />to the permit revision approval that requires the permittee to <br />conduct a complete archeological investigation in areas having the <br />highest potential for locating cultural resources before proceeding <br />with the mining operations in those areas. <br />2. Water quality/supply values: <br />The Purgatoire River is one of the master streams that drains <br />the area. It heads in the Sangre de Cristo Range south of the <br />Spanish Peaks and has three major headwater tributaries, the north, <br />• 6 <br />