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i BAMBERG ECOLOGICAL <br />bamberg ecology Environmental Consulting Services <br />MEMORANDUM <br />To: Mr. Paul Glader, Hecla Mining Company <br />From: Ingrid Bamberg, Ph.D., Bamberg Ecological <br />Date: June 4, 2010 <br />Re: Results of Spring 2010 Mesita Hill Site Visit for Revegetation Status <br />This report is to document my observations on May 30, 2010 of the revegetation <br />progress to date at the Mesita Hill project (Mine Id # M-1977-227) in Costilla County, <br />Colorado. Mesita Hill is an open-pit, volcanic scoria mining operation owned by Hecla <br />Mining Company encompassing a 201.2-acre permit area. The mine is located in <br />southern Colorado in the San Luis Valley east of Highway 159 (Sec 26, T2N, R74W, 6th <br />PM). This is the third revegetation monitoring site visit since seeding in fall 2008. <br />Past Revegetation Observations <br />During 2008, the mine underwent reclamation procedures, a portion of which included <br />spreading native vegetation seed on the unvegetated portions of the mine site during <br />late October to early November 2008. During a site survey on May 22, 2009, 1 estimated <br />the overall seedling density at approximate 1 to 2 individuals per square foot (see Me- <br />morandum from Ingrid Bamberg to Paul Glader dated June 1, 2009). This density was <br />highly variable across the site, as is typical in and climates. Although apparently sparse, <br />this amount of germination and growth of seedlings was good for this and climate and <br />early point in the revegetation process. <br />Vegetative ground cover observed during November 2009 reflected variation in the final <br />soil surfaces across the mine site (see Memorandum from Ingrid Bamberg to Paul Glad- <br />er dated December 2, 2009). The backfilled, central flat portion of the mine had the <br />highest average plant cover by seeded species at approximately 2% but the lowest inva- <br />sive species cover at 4-5%. In contract, the portions of the mine site that received sal- <br />vaged topsoil had the lowest average seeded species cover at less than 1 %, but cover <br />by Russian thistle and other invasive species of averaged 30%.