GENERAL55787

• Permit No: M1999002
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 8/18/1998
• Doc Name: COMMERCIAL MINE PLAN SUBMITTED TO BLM SECTION 8
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

more immediate seed sources. Given climatic conditions similar to those under
• which the present plant communities developed, it is likely that natural succession
will lead to similar climax communities.
Barren/rock outcrop communities are widely distributed in the Piceance Creek
Basin but are much less extensive in area than the other plant communities that
will be affected by the project. These communities occur on Torriorthents-
Rockoutcrop soils derived from shales of the Green River Formation. At the
Piceance Site, these shales make up the Thirteenmile Creek Tongue of the Green
River Formation, but throughout the Piceance Creek Basin similar shales make up
other "tongues" of the Green River Formation and support similar barren/rock
outcrop plant communities. Torriorthents-Rockoutcrop soils have poor
reclamation due to shallow soil depth, inherent low fertility, and slope (BLM 1982).
Therefore, reclamation of these soils will be challenging. Furthermore, the
potential for these soils to be recreated through natural soil-building processes
following reclamation is debatable, and the potential for long-term colonization by
native plant species is similarly problematic.
The BLM has noted that Section 29 of the Yankee Gulch property is within its Ryan
Gulch Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) and, as such, rehabilitation
of any disturbance there would require the use of native vegetation (BLM 1997a).
Portions of two 5-year mining panels are planned to be developed in Section 29
• under the commercial mine plan, as well as the main access road and the project
pipelines from the Horse Draw Road to the Piceance Site processing plant area (see
Figure 2-1). American Soda will take special care in the reclamation and vegetation
of these areas, noting particularly the greater than typical occurrence of
Thirteenmile Creek Tongue soils and associated barren/rock outcrop plant
communities. In addition, as discussed in Section 8.14.2, American Soda will avoid
disturbing colonies of the Dudley Bluffs twinpod, Physnrin obcordnta, or the Dudley
Bluffs bladderpod, Lesgnerel[a congests, during the construction and operation of
the project, thereby avoiding adverse impacts to the BLM's management objectives
for the ACEC, i.e., to protect colonies of these threatened plant species.
During construction and operation of the Yankee Gulch Project, proper precautions
will be taken at all times to prevent or suppress fires. Any trees in the areas to be
developed under the commercial mine plan will be purchased from the BLM prior
to construction and disposed of as directed by the BLM. Other vegetation removed
will be disposed of by spreading or mulching, as directed by the BLM.
As indicated in Section 7.6.2, the pipeline corridor within the Piceance Site would
traverse approximately 2 miles of assorted plant communities, including the
riparian vegetation along Piceance Creek (see Figure 1-2 and Figure 7-17). Assuming
a maximum pipeline corridor width of 75 feet, vegetation disturbance associated
with construction of this part of the pipeline would total about 18 acres. The
• pipeline corridor beyond the Piceance Site would traverse approximately 22 miles of
sagebrush vegetation, 7 miles of pinyon-juniper woodlands, 7 miles of mountain
American Soda, L.L.P. 8_1'~
Commercial Mine Plan
August 1`3, 1998