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2.04.3 -SITE DESCRIPTION AND LAND USE <br />The areas of the proposed King II Mine slated for surface disturbance lie <br />within the confines of the bottom at the confluence of two dry drainage <br />basins. This drainage basin valley bottom subsequently opens into Hay <br />Gulch approximately 0.5 miles from the location of surface facilities and <br />underground mine portals. The area has been historically used by <br />European settlers for ranching and by Native Americans prior to that for <br />hunting and gathering. There has been no change of land use during the <br />last five years. Current land uses of the proposed permit area include <br />rangeland, fish and wildlife habitat, and undeveloped land. These will <br />be the land uses to which the property is returned after completion of <br />coal mining and reclamation. <br />The two vegetation communities found within the proposed surface <br />disturbance areas are pinyon juniper woodland found on the sideslopes <br />of the drainage basins and a rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland on <br />the bottomland of the drainage basin. <br />The pinyon juniper woodland is dominated by the two tree species, a <br />woody shrub understory below the canopy and sparse succulent and <br />herbaceous vegetation. This community is found on rocky, shallow, xeric <br />soils. Given the soils and xeric nature of this vegetation communities <br />location, there is little palatable herbaceous forage produced (50-100 <br />pounds/acre) for grazing or browsing animals. Wood production may be <br />estimated at 10-50 full cords per acre; however access is a problem, with <br />steep slopes and no roads. The overall ecologic condition of this <br />community is fair to good, given the lack of intense use by livestock or <br />humans. There is little opportunity for development of varied land uses <br />other than range, wildlife habitat, and/or firewood production. <br />The rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland is located on level colluvial <br />bottomland between the sideslopes of the drainage basin. This <br />community was quantitatively sampled and described for the vegetation <br />baseline requirement of Rule 2.04.10. This vegetation community is in <br />poor to fair condition, largely due to overgrazing and lack of management <br />of undesirable plant species. Given the relatively small area of this <br />community (~50 acres) within the permit area, and the lack of irrigation, <br />the potential for production of large quantities of forage is limited. The <br />existing land uses of range and wildlife habitat will be maintained, and <br />enhanced through revegetation with predominantly native desirable <br />species post-mining. <br />Though Hay Gulch lies within the proposed permit area, no surface <br />disturbance related to the mining operation is proposed, with the <br />exception of the continued monitoring of an alluvial monitoring well. Hay <br />Gulch is not identified as prime farmland by the Natural Resource <br />©/!!/tl/!YN/d/(l/tl/N/tl/N/9/!//®/N/O/N/L•/tl/P/F+/!J/N/F.%.Y% /M/Fl/O/fl/4/! /6J/b/O/N/O/O/O/O/U/!//N/%4% /!/ /tl/d/e/®/M/N/O/FJ/6/Y./N/d'/®/4/Y/ll/Ll/O/p/!v/®/N/A <br />National King Coal, LLC King II Mine <br />Section 2.04.3 <br />Page 1 October, 2005 <br />