2011-06-02_APPLICATION CORRESPONDENCE - C2010089 ‎(12)‎

• Permit No: C2010089
• IBM Index Class Name: Application Correspondence
• Doc Date: 6/2/2011
• Doc Name: Vegetation Survey
• Section_Exhibit Name: Section 2.04.10
• Email Name: MLT
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

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type found within the proposed NHN Mine permit area (Map 2.04.10 -1 - Permit Area Vegetation
Map) that will potentially be disturbed by mining This area covers an area approximately 65.55
acres in size and accounts for nearly 20.35 percent of the proposed permit area.
This site differs from the Reclaimed Spoil vegetation type described in the section on Minor
Vegetation Types, which follows, in that there was topsoil salvaged and used in the reclamation
of this area and this reclamation was bonded in accordance with the Colorado Reclamation
standards established in response to the federal Surface Mining and Reclamation Control Act of
1978 (SMRCA). Since this site is still currently fully bonded and no attempt has been made to
obtain final bond release due to the plants WFC has to redisturb in a portion of this reclaimed
area, by opening a new boxcut off the old mine highwall. The results obtained from the
quantitative vegetation sampling of the plant cover, perennial herbaceous forage production and
shrub density are presented below.
Plant Cover. The results obtained from the sampling of the 25 plant cover transects on the NH1
Reclamation Predisturbance Area are presented in Appendix Table 2.04.10 -3, NH1 Reclamation
- Plant Cover. Total plant cover on this site averaged 27.96 percent and litter cover averaged
19.16 percent.
Seeded perennial grasses were the dominant plant life form encountered on this site, contributing
20.72 percent of the total plant cover and 74.11 percent of the total relative cover found on this
site. Noxious weeds were the second most dominant plant life form, contributing 4.92 percent of
the total plant cover and 17.60 percent of the total relative cover. Annuals and biennials
contributed 1.24 percent of the total plant cover and 4.43 percent of the total relative cover.
Native shrubs contributed 0.76 percent of the total plant cover and 2.72 percent of the total
relative cover. Native perennial forbs contributed 0.32 percent of the total plant cover and 1.14
percent of the total relative cover found on this area.
Russian Wildrye, a planted introduced perennial grass was the dominant plant species
encountered, contributing 58.37 percent of the total relative plant cover found on this site. The
other dominant plants encountered were: Storksbill, Russian Knapweed, Western Wheatgrass
and Smooth Bromegrass which contributed 9.01, 6.29, 4.58 and 4.15 percent, respectively, of the
total relative cover on this area.
The locations of the 25 cover sampled in the NH1 Reclamation Predisturbance Area are shown
on Map 2.04.10 -1, Permit Area Vegetation Map. The sample adequacy calculations in Appendix
Table 2.04.10 -2, New Horizon North Mine Area - Sample Adequacy Calculations, document that
the number of samples required to describe this site at the 90 percent confidence interval was
14.3 transects.
Production. The results obtained from the sampling of 50 production transects on this area are
summarized in Appendix Table 2.04.10 -4, NH1 Reclamation - Production. The average total
• Section 2.04.10 Page 10 April 2011