Laserfiche WebLink
RESOURCE <br />DEVELOPMENT <br />CORP. ' <br />1911 11th Street • Suite 307 , <br />Boulder, Cobrado 80302 <br />(303)449-9009 <br />May s, is7s <br />Mr. Terry W. Schulz <br />Environmental Specialist <br />Northern Coal Company <br />720 South Colorado Boulevard <br />Suite 1080 <br />Denver, CO 80222 <br />Dear Terry: <br />This past weekend your Northern No. 1 Mine was visited to identify <br />and quantitatively describe plant communities in the proposed <br />C__• development sites (affected area). <br />The affected area is characterized by three plant communities. ' <br />They include a wet meadow dominated by rushes (Juncos sp.) and <br />sedges (Cares spp.); a big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentate) - <br />rabbitbrush (Chrysothanveus cf. nauseosus) community along the <br />haul road and bordering the wet meadow; and a complex of shrubs <br />on the slopes above the sagebrush. Major species in the shrub <br />complex include serviceberry (Amelanchier alnifolia), oak (Quartos <br />gambelii), snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus), and big sagebrush. <br />The cover, density, height and reproduction rate of each of the shrub <br />communities was quantitatively determined. Quadrats 5 meters by <br />5 meters were rcr~dcrtly located in each community. The percent shrub <br />cover of each species was determined by estimating aerial extent of <br />all shrubs of that species. Shrub density was determined by counting <br />the number of mature shrubs (or clumps of shrubs in the case of <br />serviceberry, oak, and snowberry). The range in shrub height and <br />average shrub heights were determined by measuring all shrubs and <br />shrub clumps within the quadrat. Reproduction data was recorded <br />for big sagebrush and serviceberry; the only species noted to be <br />r' <br />K-2 <br />