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4.0 THREATENED AND ENDANGERED PLANT SPECIES Prior to conducting fieldwork, the Colorado Natural Areas Program was contacted to conduct a search of their database of occurrences of species of special concern, including federal and state listed and candidate plant species. No species of concern appeazed for the project site or adjacent areas (see Appendix). 5.0 DISCUSSION AND CONCLUSIONS Quantitative sampling within the rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland revealed a vegetation community reflecting historic and current use as ranching and grazing land. Total vegetation cover was 77.33 percent, dominated by the annual introduced graminoid Bromus tectorum. Remaining species encountered reflected a mix of introduced and native grasses, forbs, shrubs, and trees. Introduce species predominate in the community, lazgely due to the predominant land use. Chrysothamnus nauseosus presence is largely due to its invasive nature in disturbed or degraded native communities. Under more natural conditions, Artemisia tridentata would be expected to be the dominant shrub on the deep colluvial soils present. The mix of native cool and warm season grasses reflects both those present under natural conditions and those likely reseeded by oil and gas reclamation efforts and ranchers. The large number and character (annual and introduced) of forbs (14) reflect former disturbances to the area and the opportunistic nature of these annual species. With salvage and ultimate replacement of the suitable soil materials from the rabbitbrush/big • sage mixed shrubland, revegetation with aggressive and long-lived native graminoids and forbs, and management directed at control of the opportunistic annuals and shrubs, successful reclamation and revegetation of this area is feasible. Replacement of the pinyon juniper woodland is not necessary or desirable for this site, given the small azea of this community disturbed and the disturbance location (at the fringe of the pinyon juniper community adjoining the rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland). The predominant exposure (southwest), lack of topsoil, and quixotic nature of establishing pinyon juniper woodland make this communities reestablishment of questionable value in this location. It is recommended that this area be returned to a herbaceous community equivalent to that to be reestablished for the rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland community. 6.0 SUMMARY Quantitative and qualitative description of the two vegetation communities proposed for surface disturbance was undertaken between July 13 and 16, 2005. Quantitative sampling within the rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland revealed a vegetation community reflecting historic and current use as ranching and grazing land. Total vegetation cover was 77.33 percent, dominated by the annual introduced graminoid Bromus tectorum. Remaining species encountered reflected a mix of introduced and native grasses, forbs, • shrubs, and trees. Introduced species predominate in the community, largely due to the National King Goal LLC Page 7 King II Mine 2005 Baseline Vegetation Report