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3 <br />the project area from the outside. These efforts <br />combined with timely herbicide use would <br />result in minor effects on native vegetation. <br />Continued weed control nay be required <br />following project completion if weed <br />populations happen to establish to the end of <br />the project. <br />Alternative 3 <br />Effects of Alternative 3 would be the same as <br />those described for Alternative 2 except new <br />access road construction, existing road <br />upgrades, installation of MDW, and use of <br />staging areas would affect 42 fewer acres using <br />the windows analysis method (Table 3-6). <br />Cumulative Effects <br />Alternative 1 <br />The cumulative effects study area for <br />vegetation resources is the project area. <br />Historic, present, and future vegetation <br />disturbance in the region is associated with fire, <br />livestock grazing, and mining. Wildland fire <br />will continue to influence vegetation <br />community structure and extent throughout the <br />area. In addition, historic livestock grazing in <br />the area is a major land use and will continue <br />after current mine operations cease. <br />Subsidence may occur in the northern portion <br />of the project area damaging some vegetation <br />and creating areas of bare ground for noxious <br />weed colonizatic-n as a result of current mine <br />activity. <br />Since there would be no direct or indirect <br />effects from the No Action alternative, there <br />would be no cumulative effects. <br />Alternatives 2 and 3 <br />Historic disturbance factors in the area <br />including fire and grazing will continue. As the <br />land use is converted from grazing to mining <br />livestock may change their grazing patterns and <br />overuse of soiree areas could occur, damaging <br />vegetation in these areas (see Livestock <br />Management section). <br />The fire return interval for Gambel oak is from <br />40 to 75 years depending on associated <br />vegetation and available fuels (Simonin 2000). <br />Clearing small windows of Gambel oak for <br />MDW pads and subsequent revegetation with <br />herbaceous species would provide fuels for <br />wildland fire, however, these small scattered <br />openings would not resulting in increased fire <br />hazard in the area. <br />As mentioned above, vegetation has been <br />affected by previous activities by MCC at <br />lower elevations (north) of the project area, <br />primarily as a result of road construction and <br />installation of MDWs. The bulk of this affected <br />vegetation has been oak brush, with lesser <br />amounts of removal in aspen and spruce <br />communities (USDA FS 2004). Because the <br />bulk of the cover type in the proposed project <br />area is Gambel oak (3,903 acres) and quaking <br />aspen (1,788 acres), it is foreseeable that the <br />bulk of the disturbance will occur in these <br />upland vegetation types. In addition to <br />vegetation removal, other effects include: a <br />possible hardening of the site and/or <br />compaction of soils where roads and vents are <br />to be located, which could affect the future <br />succession of vegetation; damage to tree trunks <br />(especially thin-barked aspen) in the immediate <br />surrounding resulting in weak and stressed <br />trees; damage to tree roots as a result of blading <br />or grade work; increased fuel load and the <br />attraction of borers as result of the <br />accumulation of large, woody debris; opening <br />the forest and increasing the likelihood of <br />windthrow; and introduction of noxious weeds. <br />Figure 11 shows typical vegetation re- <br />establishment two growing seasons following <br />reclamation in the Deer Creek area. <br />Establishment of moderate ground cover, as <br />experience on similar sites in the area, within <br />two years post-reclamation. mitigates the <br />potential for soil erosion and further site <br />degradation. Maintaining existing fencing <br />around reclaimed areas immediately after <br />seeding would improve reclamation success by <br />deferring wildlife and livestock disturbance. <br />• <br />• <br />• <br />90 Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells FEIS <br />