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Spun 2.04.10 <br />Riparian and Wetland Areas <br />Because most of the drainages in the Perrrrit and adjacent areas are intemmittent or ephemeral, with no <br />flow or limited flows occurring only during brief periods of the yeaz, riparian wetland (these two <br />designations aze used interchangeably, given the limited occurrence of this vegetation type and its <br />close association with area streams) vegetation is limited to narrow strips in or immediately adjacent to <br />portions of some of the larger drainage channels. A wetland delineation for portions of Elk Creek <br />that would potentially be impacted by development of the Elk Creek Mme surface facilities was <br />completed in 1999 in conjunction with the North Fork Coal Leasing EIS, a copy of which is included <br />in Exhibit 2.04-E6, Vegetation Information. Cedaz Cmek Associates identified and mapped ten small <br />ripazian/wetland areas totaling 0.48 acres, with an additional 0.8 acres identified as non-wetland <br />Waters of the U.S. It was also estimated that 35 percent of streambank areas classified as waters of <br />the U.S. could be categorized as wetland fringe, resulting in an additiona10.28 acres of wetland for a <br />total of 0.76 acres. <br />Threatened. Endangered, or Sensitive Plant Species <br />The original baseline vegetation inventory (Western Resource Consultants, 1982 -refer to Exhibit <br />2.04-E6, Vegetation Information) identified no Federally listed Threatened, Endangered, (T&E) or <br />Sensitive plant species within the Pemmit and adjacent areas. Subsequent changes in T&E listings <br />resulted in additional T&E surveys or evaluatioru. The USFS surveyed the proposed surface <br />disturbance area for the Sanborn Cseek Mme in June 1995 for possible occurrences of the Grand <br />Mesa peastemon, with the result that no occurrences of this species were observed. Recent listings <br />have identified the Uurtah Basin hookless cactmu (threatened) and the clagloving buckwheat <br />(endangered) as occumng in the general area. For both of these species, suitable habitat does not <br />occur in the Permit and adjacent areas and the elevation range of known occurrences are generally <br />• below the lowest elevations in the Permit area. <br />The North Fork Coal EIS identified twenty USFS or BIlvI listed sensitive plants as potentially <br />occumng in the general area. Of these, all but five exhibit habitat or elevation range preferences that <br />are incompatible with the Permit and adjacent areas. Of the five sensitive species that are known to <br />occur at elevations and in habitat types consistent with the Pemmit and adjacent areas, the known <br />ranges for four of the species are well outside of the Permit area. The one known sensitive species <br />that could occur in Perrnit or adjacent areas is Hapman's coolwort, which exhibits a range and habitat <br />preference consistent with Hubbard Falls (SW/s, Section 14, T12S, R91W) in the adjacent area. <br />2.04.11 -Fish and Wildlife Resources Information <br />This section of the pemmit application describes fish, wildlife, and related habitat occurrence and <br />characteristics in the Mme Permit and adjacent areas as a basis for undemanding site-specific land use <br />conditions, evaluation of potential min' ~-related impacts, and development of plans for effective <br />revegetauon and restoration of mine disturbance areas as part of the comprehensive site reclamation <br />plans. Most of the information presented in this section is based on site-specific evaluations of <br />proposed mine disturbance areas bypersonnel from the Colorado Division of Vflddlife (®OW). <br />Fish and Wildlife Habitat and Occurrence <br />The Permit and adjacent areas lie in a transition zone between the Colorado Plateau to the north and <br />west and the southern Rocky Mountain physiographic province to the east and south. Habitat <br />conditions are reflective of both the rugged terrain of the area and the semi-arid climate. The high <br />glarrauc cn the unt*h o£ the Permit area and thz tunuuraimas r~ the east anti snutlt c~-ur_cally fall wulaia <br />• the montane (Canadian and Hudsonian life zones) ecological association, while the Pertnit and <br />mmrrediate surrounding areas fall within the submontane (Transitional life zone) assocmation. The <br />lower elevations to the west grade from the submontane to the cold desert (Upper Sonoran life zone) <br />ecological association. <br />PR04 2.04-106 Revised August 2000 <br />