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RESPONSE <br />An inventory of plant communities was conducted in 1984 on specific vegetation types and corresponding <br />reference areas of TCC's planned Foidel Creek Mine permit area. The proposed permit area is located in <br />Twentymile Park, 15 miles southwest of Steamboat Springs, Routt County, Colorado. Because this mine is an <br />underground operation, investigations concentrated on those plant communities where surface operations or <br />facilities are planned to be located. <br />On a regional basis, [he proposed permit area is situated below the Western Spruce-Fir Forest Picea-Abies within <br />both the Mountain Mohogany-Oak Scrub (Cercocarpus- uercus complex and the Sagebrush steppe Artemisia- <br />Agropyron) vegetation zones (Kuchler 1964). The lower portions of Twentymile Park were historically dominated <br />by a low sagebrush Artemisia-arbuscula community which, in many areas, has since given way to cultivated <br />vegetation types and other agricultural practices. Somewhat higher elevations (e.g., foothills of the park) are <br />dominated by big sagebrush Artemisia tridentata or mountain shrub communities. The highest elevations and/or <br />steep north facing slopes surrounding the park are dominated by aspen Po ulus tremuloides), mountain shrub, and <br />occasionally, spruce-fir communities. <br />Within the proposed permit area, existing vegetation is comprised of seven plant communities consisting of aspen, <br />mountain shrub, sagebrush, sagebrush meadow, pasture, cropland, and meadow. Of these, only four may be <br />disturbed by the surface facilities; sagebrush, sagebrush meadow, pasture and cropland. <br />A significant portion of the proposed permit area supports cropland and pasture vegetation types. Croplands are <br />usually planted to winter wheat or barley, or if in their rotation, are left fallow. Pastures occur in limited extent <br />• <br />• <br />TR 01-39 2.04-50.1 8/10/0] <br />