Laserfiche WebLink
Vegetation <br />Five major vegetation community types occur within the Yoast permit area. These major <br />vegetation community types are: Mountain Brush, Sagebrush, Aspen, Steep Mountain Brush, and <br />Western Wheatgrass/Alkali Sagebrush. Additional community types occur within the permit <br />area but at considerably smaller acreages. These additional vegetation types include: Upland <br />and subirrigated improved pasture, mesic drainage, lands in the Conservation Reserve Program, <br />cropland, Alkali Sagebrush/Greasewood, and Alkali Meadow. <br />Shrub stands in the pre-mine landscape are dense and reduce the utility of the area for livestock <br />grazing. Pre-mine densities determined from baseline sampling data are: 12,562 stems per acre <br />in the Mountain Brush community, 7,039 stems per acre in the Aspen community, and 6,087 <br />stems per acre in the Sagebrush community. All vegetation types within the permit are <br />characterized by cool season species. <br />Soils <br />The permit site is located in an "ustic-aridic" soil moisture regime and a "cryic-frigid "soil <br />temperature regime. Moisture is limiting within these soils, but the soil moisture is present <br />during the growing season as a result of the quantity and distribution of precipitation. The <br />majority of soils found within the permit area are suitable for topsoil salvage in a depth of 0.5 to <br />3.5 feet. The primary limiting factor to topsoil salvage is occasional slopes in excess of 45%. <br />Loams and clay loams are the soil types most commonly found throughout the permit area. <br />Land Use <br />The most dominant land use, in terms of area, in and adjacent to the mine area is rangeland. <br />Other adjacent land uses include irrigated and dryland cropland, residential areas, coal mining, <br />electric power generation, oil production, and recreation. <br />The post mining land use of the Yoast Mine permit area will be primarily livestock grazing with <br />a secondary use as wildlife habitat. <br />Wildlife <br />Wildlife baseline studies were conducted in 1993 and 1994. Wildlife observed included big <br />game, upland game birds, raptors, breeding birds (song birds), and small mammals. Details of <br />the wildlife study are located in Attachment 11-1 of the permit application. <br />Big Game <br />The entire Yoast permit area is classified as winter range for elk, and summer habitat for mule <br />deer. Pronghorn were sighted on two occasions during the two-year baseline monitoring period, <br />in Sections 5 and 9, near the haul road corridor. <br />Upland Game Birds <br />Yoast Mine 14 December 15, 2010