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Twenty Mile Mine Amendment - Baseline Vegetation Study Plan <br />2.1 Plant Species List <br />A plant species list will be compiled for each vegetation community found within the proposed <br />vegetation baseline study area. This list will be compiled from species observed during field <br />reconnaissance, point-intercept line-transect cover measurements, production quadrat sampling, <br />shrub density belt transects, other opportunistic observations of the sampling areas, and the <br />spring summer and fall inventory sessions. Field reconnaissance of the proposed study area for <br />plant species will be performed three times during the important phenological phases of the <br />growing season; once in the spring (May/early June), once in early summer (late June/July) and <br />once in late summer (August/early September). The plant species list will include scientific <br />name, common name, life form, and origin (nativity). The list will be organized by life form. The <br />NRCS National Plants Database will be used as the primary authority for plant species names. <br />Other references for plant species identification will be provided, when used. <br />2.2 Random Sample Point Selection <br />Random sample points will be selected within each mapped vegetation community that is to be <br />sampled using the following methodology: <br />On a map, a square grid will be created and overlaid on the cumulative area of each vegetation <br />community being sampled. A sample point is located at the intersection of each square created <br />by the grid. Each vegetation community to be sampled will have its own custom grid spacing <br />based on its size. <br />A random offset for the grids "X" and "Y" coordinates will be generated and the grid randomly <br />positioned over the cumulative sampling area using these values from a fixed reference point. By <br />generating random X and Y offsets for positioning the gird, every point inside the reference area <br />is given the opportunity of being chosen as a sample. <br />To minimize edge effects and transition zones, partial squares are eliminated from the potential <br />sample set. This is accomplished by excluding those sample points with squares falling on the <br />boundary of the vegetation community whose centroid falls outside of the vegetation community <br />boundary. Those squares whose centroid falls within its boundary are eligible to be included in <br />the sample set. <br />Next, sample points are chosen at random from the eligible squares (described above). Sample <br />points are randomly chosen until the required maximum number of samples is generated. To <br />allow for unforeseen problems in the field, an additional 10% of the maximum sample points <br />(50) are randomly selected for each vegetation community to be sampled. For example, 5 <br />additional sample points will be generated for a maximum sample population of 55. An example <br />of this random sample site selection process is shown on Figure 1: Random Sample Point <br />Locations Grid. <br />Sample points will be located in the field using a GPS unit. Sample locations will be documented <br />and a map will be created showing the location of the sample points for each vegetation <br />community. <br />5