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• Baseline Technical <br />Report <br />ARCADIS <br />Report for Soils and <br />Biological Resources, <br />Cresson Mine Life Extension <br />Project Area <br />4.0 VEGETATION RESOURCES <br />Information on vegetation resources in the District, including the Study Area, is based <br />on vegetation mapping originally conducted by Greystone in late summer and fall of <br />1999 and previous vegetation mapping by JBR Environmental Consultants in support <br />of the Amendment No. 7 project (JBR 1997). <br />In June 2007, ARCADIS biologists visited the Study project area (Figure 1-1) to <br />"assess current conditions at the mine site and confirm that the vegetation mapping that <br />was completed for the project in previous efforts was still accurate. The vegetation <br />communities within the Study Area have not changed significantly from the original <br />mapping effort, and the details of the community types described below still apply. <br />Aerial photos were used to delineate the boundaries of various vegetation types that <br />occur in the Study Area. These units were then field checked and previous vegetation <br />• mapping refined. Field checking indicated that it was necessary to further sub-divide <br />several previously identified vegetation types in order to better describe differences in <br />their dominant plant species, ecology, and function. Figure 3-1 shows the location of <br />vegetation communities as defined in the 1999 effort, as well as areas of existing and <br />proposed new disturbance. ARCADIS biologists visited the project site on June 26 and <br />27, 2007 to ground truth mapped vegetation types within areas proposed for new <br />disturbance. The site visit confirmed the vegetation community types shown on Figure <br />3-1 and discussed in some detail in Section 3.1. Plant species that occur in the District <br />are listed in Table A-1 of Appendix A of this document. <br />The vegetation of the Study Area and surrounding areas was mapped in mid-August <br />and early September 1999. Data forms were used to record vegetation types including <br />dominant species. Physical site characteristics and other relevant information were <br />also recorded. The field-generated information is summarized below. <br />The Study Area has been, and continues to be, disturbed by historic and ongoing <br />mine-related activities (e.g., underground development rock piles, prospecting <br />excavations, surface mines, overburden storage areas, roads). Photographs taken in, <br />and historical accounts from, the early 1900s indicate that there were very few trees or <br />shrubs present in the Study Area and vicinity at that time. Recent vegetation mapping <br />indicates that most vegetation in the area is second growth. Growth ring counts of <br />recently-cut spruce stumps in the area indicate that the largest trees are less than <br />about 130 years old. This age is compatible with the history of mining in the Study <br />Area. These trees at that time were likely too small for use as mine timbers or <br />CCV Final Technical Report (3-28-08).doc 8