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Corey Heaps
<br />CAM Colorado LLC
<br />June 21, 2011 Page 22
<br />CAM Response: The Wildlife Report was changed to indicate Gray Molly is the dominant
<br />plant species on this site. Please see revised Exhibit 10
<br />There is considerable evidence supporting our determination that the plant in question is
<br />actual Gray Molly and not Alkali Seepweed. The 1978 "Soil Survey of Mesa County Area,
<br />Colorado" found ath ttp / /soils.usda.gov /surNTY online Surveys /colorado / C0680 /mesa pdf
<br />documents that the proposed Unit Train Loadout site is outside of the limits of this
<br />published soils survey. However, according to page 3 of the Wildlife Report, the dominant
<br />soil type on this site is the Skumpah silt loam. Mr. Dennis Grosett, soils scientist with the
<br />Grand Junction NRCS office supplied us with the unpublished soils map and corresponding
<br />Range Site Descriptions for this site. According to this information, the area mapped as the
<br />Greasewood Plant Community occurs completely within the limits of NRCS soils mapping
<br />unit BcA, the Skumpah soils mapping unit, which corresponds to the NRCS Salt Flats
<br />Ecological Site, or Salt Flats 262 Range Site. According to the Salt Flats 262 Range Site
<br />Description, Gray Molly ( Kochia americana) is listed as a dominant plant species for this
<br />Range Site. Neither Alkali Seepweed (Suaeda moquini) nor any of its synonyms (as
<br />identified on the USDA Plants profile database found online at
<br />http://usda.goy/iqyaL/profile?symbol=SUMO } are found on the NRCS list of plant species
<br />associated with the Salt Flats Range Site.
<br />According to the USDA Plants profile for Suaeda moquini, synonymous names for this
<br />species include: Dondia fruticosa, Suaeda fruticosa, Suaeda intermedia, Suaeda nigra,
<br />Suaeda ramosissima, Suaeda torreyana, and, Suaeda torreyana var. ramosissima.
<br />Weber and Wittman (2001) in their Flora of Western Colorado, third edition, published by
<br />the University Press of Colorado, gives the following descriptions of Suaeda moquini and
<br />Kochia americana:
<br />SUAEDA lAa. Perennial, woody and branched at the base, stems over 3 dm tall, forming
<br />bushy growth, S. moquini Torrey [for C. Moquin- Tandon, 1804 -1863, French chenopod
<br />specialist]. Seasonally wet clay flats along the lower river valleys (S torreyana).
<br />KOCHIA Roth 1801 [for Wilhelm D. J. Koch, 1771 -1849, German botanist] One species K.
<br />americana Watson. A native perennial, branching from the base, not over 3 dm tall,
<br />blooming in the spring, Common on clay flats, lower river valleys.
<br />Harrington, H.D. 1964. Manual of the Plants of Colorado. Published by the Shallow
<br />Press, Inc. Chicago, contains the following:
<br />Suaeda torreyana. Perennial plants somewhat woody at base, stems 30 -80 cm. Tall, erect,
<br />branched, glabrous, sparsely leafy, leaves 1.5 -3 cm. long, green, linear, strongly flattened,
<br />acute, or acuminate, those of the inflorescence much reduced, branches of the inflorescence
<br />slender and lax, perianth lobes obtuse, rounded on back, seed vertical or horizontal, 1-
<br />1 .5mm. broad. Doubtfully distinct from S. fruticosa. Alkaline and saline soil. Wyoming
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