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Prince Albert Mine Plan of Operations Site Description <br />vegetative matter from the growth medium stockpile. A more complete soil survey report can be <br />found in Section U.11 "Plant Growth Medium and Soil Characteristics" and Appendix B "NCRS Soil <br />Survey Report" of Attachment 1, Exhibit U EPP. A site - specific soil map is also included in the <br />Attachment 1, Exhibit U EPP as Figure U.11.1 "Prince Albert Mine Soil Map." Any soil and <br />vegetation that is available in the areas to be disturbed will be stripped from each location prior to the <br />construction of any mine facilities at that location and stockpiled for use as a plant growth medium in <br />site reclamation. <br />3.6 Vegetation <br />Vegetation on Club Mesa and in the affected area of the Prince Albert Mine site consists of two <br />major community types: pinion juniper woodlands and sagebrush- grass. The pinion juniper <br />community occurs on canyon slopes and mesa tops throughout the Club Mesa area and is <br />predominant in the proposed mine permit area. The major canopy species in the pinion - juniper <br />woodland are pinion pine (Pinus edulis), and two species of juniper (Juniperus scopolorum and <br />Juniperus osteosperma). Juniper comprises 60 percent or more of the canopy with both pinion and <br />juniper tree density dependant upon the degree of slope and soil depth. Steep slopes and shallow soils <br />yield 10 to 30 trees per acre, while shallow slopes with deeper soils yield 140 to 190 trees per acre. <br />Shrub species associated with the pinion juniper woodland include serviceberry (Amelanchier <br />utahensis), four -wing saltbrush (Atriplex canescens), snowberry (Symphoricarpos oreophilus), <br />mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus spp.), cliffrose (Cowania Mexicana), and Mormon tea (Ephedra <br />viridis). The sagebrush -grass community is mostly found in canyon bottoms, on mesa tops, and on <br />the shallow slopes of ridges, often occurring as open parks within pinion juniper vegetation where the <br />two community types intergrade. In the Prince Albert permit area this community occurrence is <br />typical and is found in the flat, open area located in the southeast portion of the mine site. Sagebrush <br />forms approximately 10 — 20 percent of the plant cover with perennial grasses and forbs comprising <br />about 50 percent and 5 percent, respectively, of the cover. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridantata), <br />fringed sagebrush (Artemisia frigida), and winterfat (Ceratoides lanata) are the major shrub types. <br />The understory for the pinion juniper community can include needle and thread grass, Sandberg <br />bluegrass, sand dropseed, Indian ricegrass, and western wheatgrass. The sagebrush understory <br />includes the above mentioned species as well as scarlet globemallow, arrowleaf, balsamroot and <br />junegrass. The USBLM Uncompahgre Field Office (UFO) has conducted a Threatened and Endangered <br />Species Survey at the proposed Prince Albert Mine site and near vicinity as part of the review process for <br />Prospect NOI P- 2005 -21 and no items of concern were found at that time (Charles Sharp, 2010). The <br />UFO staff have also expressed an interest in performing a Sensitive Species survey for the area prior to <br />the start date for the 110(d) mining operations. <br />Rimrock Exploration and Development Page 6 of 27 <br />