Laserfiche WebLink
1.0 Introduction <br />~owderhorn Coal Company needs to have additional refuse disposal areas, a new portal, and a fan <br />installation site to support the existing Roadside Mine, located near Palisade, Colorado in Mesa County. <br />Figure 1 illustrates the location of the four sites, which total about 137 acres in area. However, only <br />a portion of each of these areas would be disturbed <br />A survey for federally listed plants and species of concern to the U.S. Bureau of Land Management <br />(USBLM) was conducted for submission to the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology. <br />2.0 Methods <br />The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS), the USBLM, and the Colorado Natural Heritage Program <br />(CNHP), were contacted to determine the species of potential concern. The USFWS (Rose 1996) <br />identified Uinta Basin hookless cattus (Sclerocactus glaucus), a federally threatened plant, and Debeque <br />phacelia (Phacelia submutica), a federal candidate plant, as the only species of concern. The USBLM <br />(Smith 7996) provided a list of Special Status Plants in the Grand )unction Resource Area (Appendix B). <br />The CNHP provided a list of rare, threatened and endangered species and significant natural <br />communities for Mesa County. <br />Table 1 provides a list of USBLM Special Status Plants potentially present in Mesa County and lists the <br />habitat of these plants. Most, if not all, of these plants occur in habitats not present in the project area, <br />and therefore, are not likely to be present. However, the field ecologist looked for these plants during <br />the field survey. <br />`Prior to the field survey, the ecological literature and taxonomic descriptions of Uinta Basin hookless <br />cactus and Debeque phacelia was reviewed, and herbarium specimens of both plants were studied at <br />the University of Colorado Herbarium in Boulder, Colorado. Additionally, the taxonomic descriptions <br />on the special status plants was also reviewed. <br />On May 7 prior to beginning the survey, Daryl E. Mergen, the ecologist conducting the field survey, <br />visited a known site of Uinta Basin hookless callus southwest of Debeque, Colorado to determine if this <br />small plant was flowering. At this known site, Uinta Basin hookless cacti was Flowering (Photo 1). <br />On May 7 and 8, 1996, parallel transects, about 30 feet, were walked through all four survey sites to <br />look for the occurrence of Uinta Basin hookless cactus, Debeque phacelia, and any USBLM Special <br />Status Plant. Because of the steep, rocky topography at the Cameo Refuse Disposal Areas Number 2 and <br />3, transects were generally walked up and down small ridges and down steep side slopes. Extra time <br />was spent on areas of barren clay soil, potential as habitat for Debeque phacelia. <br /> <br />