2012-03-07_PERMIT FILE - C2010088 ‎(14)‎

• Permit No: C2010088
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/7/2012
• Doc Name: Vegetation Information
• Section_Exhibit Name: Exhibit 05
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

EXHIBIT 5
2.04.10 VEGETATION INFORMATION
INTRODUCTION
At the request of Mr. James E. Stover, of J. E. Stover and Associates, Inc., the permitting agent
for the proposed CAM - Colorado LLC, Fruita Unit Train Loadout Facility, baseline vegetation
sampling was conducted during May and June 2010 on a site of approximately 208.33 acres
consisting of the proposed unit train loadout site permit area. The proposed Fruita Unit Train
Loadout site is located immediately to the west of the old refinery, just to the south of U.S.
Highway 6 & 50 near Reed Wash, and is bordered on the north by the Union Pacific Railroad
tracts and is approximately one quarter mile north of U.S. Interstate 70. This site is located
approximately four miles to the west of the town of Fruita, Mesa County, Colorado. This site is
located on a parcel of land containing approximately 208.33 acres located in the SW/ 1/4 of
Section 2, SE 1/4 of Section 3, NE 1/4 of Section 10 and NW 1/4 of Section 11, Township 1
North, Range 3 West of the 6h Principal Meridian and is found on the Mack, CO USGS quad
sheet. In addition to the proposed unit train loadout area, which consisted of one major plant
community, the Greasewood Vegetation type and a corresponding reference area, two minor
plant communities were also sampled. This vegetation monitoring effort was prepared with the
intention of satisfying the permit baseline vegetation sampling requirements of the CDRMS
regulations located at Rule 2.04.10.
According to the potential vegetation characteristics of the NRCS Salt Flats Range Site, the
range condition class index for the Greasewood Pre - disturbance Area is calculated to equal
26.3 percent, meaning that the site only possesses 26.3 percent of the ecological climax
vegetation which would be associated with this site and that the current composition of the
vegetation would correspond to the very low end of the "fair" range condition class.
According to the NRCS Range Site Description for this site, if the:
"ecological retrogression is cattle - induced, grasses will decrease. However, if
retrogression is caused by sheep, desirable grasses, forbs and shrubs may be reduced.
Deterioration of the site will decrease Alkali Sacaton, Island Saltgrass, Fourwing
Saltbush and Nuttall Saltbush.
Retrogradation of the site will increase Inland Saltgrass, Silky Milkvetch, Greenmolly
Summercypress, Two Groved Milkvetch, Basin Big Sagebrush and Black Greasewood.
Plant species likely to invade this site and become part of the plant community when the
range is in a degenerated condition are, Russian Thistle, Greenmolly Summercypress,
Halogeton, Mustard, Canada Thistle, and other plants ecologically undesirable to the
site."
The current composition, calculated on the basis of plant cover, of grasses (consisting only of