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EXECUTIVE SUMMARY <br />• National King Coal LLC proposes an expansion of their mining operation to an area <br />approximately 1.5 miles southwest of the existing mine and facilities. The surface facilities, <br />portal, and access will be within two unnamed colluvial drainage basins north of Hay Gulch. <br />The majority of surface disturbance will occur within a vegetation community visually <br />dominated by rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) and big sage (,4rtemisia <br />tridentate) occumng on the flat colluvial bottoms between the drainage side slopes. This <br />vegetation community was sampled quantitatively for vegetation cover (total and relative by <br />species), total herbaceous production, and species composition. Less than three acres of <br />surface disturbance will occur in the pinyon-juniper woodland vegetation community along <br />the drainage basin side slopes. The small relative size of the disturbance to the pinyon- <br />juniper community and the fact that this community will not be re-established post-mining, <br />qualify it for qualitative description in this baseline vegetation study. This report presents the <br />results of the quantitative and qualitative investigations. <br />Revegetation success standards for the rabbitbnxsh/big sage mixed shrubland will be <br />established by the use of a reference area. The reference area will be comprised of a three <br />acre pazcel within the area quantitatively sampled yet not slated for disturbance. The <br />reference area will be fenced to prevent unauthorized access and managed in a manor <br />consistent with current management of the rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland. <br />1.0 INTRODUCTION <br />This report presents the results of the baseline vegetation characterization for the proposed <br />King II Mine expansion by National King Coal LLC (Colorado Division of Minerals and <br />Geology permit C-81-035). Quantitative and qualitative information in this report <br />characterizes the vegetative condition of the two vegetation communities proposed for <br />disturbance during mining; a rabbitbrush/big sage mixed shrubland and pinyon juniper <br />woodland. Vegetative sampling is required by the Colorado Division of Minerals and <br />Geology (CDMG) to characterize vegetation communities disturbed by surface mining so as <br />to allow development of revegetation plans and revegetation success standards ensuring <br />replacement of equivalent vegetation communities post-mining. Vegetation sampling was <br />performed in compliance with Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board Surface Coal <br />Mining Rules 2.04.10 and 4.15 and current botanical and plant ecological methods. Field <br />sampling was conducted between July 13 and 16, 2005 by Savage and Savage, Inc. <br />biologists. <br />The proposed King II Mine is located in La Plata County, Colorado, approximately three (3) <br />miles southwest of Hesperus, Colorado and is accessed by La Plata County Road 120 through <br />Hay Gulch. The National King Mine has been operated for coal extraction by underground <br />extraction methods since 1941. The azea proposed for mining under the King II Mine has not <br />been previously mined. Historically, the area was part of the Dunn Ranch and adjacent ranch <br />holdings and has been used for ranching. <br />I'1 <br />LJ <br />National King Goal LLG Page 1 <br />King II Mlne 2005 Baseline Vegetation Repoli <br />