2008-08-11_PERMIT FILE - C1992080A

• Permit No: C1992080A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 8/11/2008
• Doc Name: Revised Permit Document
• Section_Exhibit Name: Abridged Permit Document
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

. 2 04.10 Vegetation Information
During the initial permitting, the Carbon Junction Mine proposed to disturb five
vegetation communities; mountain shrubland, pinyon juniper woodland, pinyon juniper
caprock woodland, old field, and agricultural fields.
Baseline vegetation sampling took place in several phases at the Carbon Junction Mine.
Initial baseline vegetation information submitted with the permit application was not
acceptable to CDMG. Prior to disturbance, additional baseline vegetation information
was collected. In 1982, quantitative old field and agricultural vegetation information was
collected by Pioneer Engineering and Pueblo Coal. During 1983, Western Resource
Development collected quantitative information on three additional vegetation
communities; mountain shrubland, pinyon juniper woodland, and pinyon juniper caprock
woodland. Reference areas were selected and established for the mountain shrubland and
pinyon juniper vegetation communities. A separate reference area was not established
for the pinyon juniper caprock woodland, as this community was considered a phase of
the pinyon juniper woodland. Separate revegetation success standards were to be
developed for this community phase from the pinyon juniper woodland reference area.
The old field was originally slated to be returned to a wheat field, where the agricultural
production standards would apply. Results of the vegetation baseline sampling are
contained in the summary reports and tables within Exhibit K of Appendix 2.04. A
vegetation community map of the permit and adjacent area has been included on Map 4-
6. This map shows the locations of randomly selected transects within the old field. The
vegetation map includes sufficient area beyond the permit area to allow evaluation of
vegetation as important habitat for fish and wildlife.
A rare and endangered plant species survey was conducted in the spring of 1983. No rare
or endangered species more found to exist in the disturbed area. See Exhibit K of
Appendix 2.04.
The baseline vegetation information is provided as a historical perspective. During 1996,
Oakridge Energy submitted a request to change the post - mining land uses of the permit
area to better reflect the changing land uses of the Animas Valley adjacent to the City of
Durango (see permit section 2.05.5 Post - Mining Land Uses). As the land uses of the
surrounding area had changed significantly in the intervening years, the plan to return the
mine permit area to rangeland and wildlife habitat was no longer viable or appropriate in
light of neighboring development and future post- mining development plans for the
permit area. With the approval of Technical Revision 05, the post- mining land uses were
changed from wildlife habitat with some cropland to industrial and commercial,
recreation, and residential. With this change, the focus of the revegetation plan changed.
While revegetation measures and methods did not significantly change, the need for
maintaining reference areas for the vegetation communities was eliminated, as the
revegetation success standards for the approved post- mining land uses are related to
minimization of erosion (through plant cover). The reader is referred to section 2.05.4(2)
for a complete description of the reclamation and revegetation plan.
Abridged Permit Document 4 -18 Feb 2008