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are known to exist. <br />• No known fossils of significance have been found on or neaz the prgject azea. The Mesa Verde <br />Group yields sparse faunas ofboth marine and non-marine elements. No study exists with specific <br />reference to the Botanical fossils related to the Menefee coals nor on the non-marine invertebrates <br />on the associated units (Fischer, 1981). <br />WATER <br />The topographic. surface of the project area consists of a plateau between East Alkali Gulch, Hay <br />Gulch and "No Name Gulch" to the southeast. These are ephemeral drainages of variabte gradient. <br />Surface water within these drainages occurs as a result of seasonal spring runoff and following <br />summer/fall storm events. The project area is not in a major ground water recharge area. Mining <br />activity in the project azea would occur approximately 40 feet above the piezometric surface, which <br />is static water level. <br />VEGETATION <br />No onsite investigations were conducted of the proposed project azea. The following information <br />is excerpted from the COC 60941 Coal Lease Application EA (1997), and generally describes the <br />project area. <br />"The general project azea consists of pasture and mountain shrub type vegetation along <br />• withpinon juniper. ThemostprominentshrubsincludeGambeloak ercus ambelii , <br />Mountain mahogany (Cercoca~r us montanus), and Utah serviceberry (Amelanchier <br />utahensis}. Other important shrubs include Antelope bitterbrush Purshia dzdentata), <br />Squaw-apple {Peraphvllum ramosissimum), and Green ephedra E hedra viridis . <br />Scatteredpinyonpine Pinusedulis andUtahjuniper .Zuni enuutahensis occuionthe <br />more xeric sites, while scattered ponderosa pine Pinus onderosa and Douglas fir <br />(Pseudotsuga, menziesii occur on the more mesic sites. Important species in the <br />understory include bluegrass (Poa sue.), western wheatgrass (Agl'OAVron smithii , <br />botilebntsh squirreltail Sitaniore h- stns , yucca Yucca baccata , aad milkvetch <br />(Astragalus sip.). <br />Portions of the project azea have undergone various vegetation treatments including chaining, <br />burning, and herbicide application. <br />WILDLIFE <br />T ;e prcje:,t area is diverse in wildli~ hal-,i~ts. AItheugh the proje: t area is primarily oomposed of <br />the mountain shrub type vegetative community, portions are also covered by pinon juniper and <br />pasture types as well. The project azea is located in important winter range for deer and elk. <br />T$REATENED/ENDANGERED SPECIES <br />