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

Home Browse Search

EXHIBIT 5 Mr. Kent Crofts of IME, has conducted numerous previous vegetation sampling efforts at numerous other mine sites in Colorado and Utah in the past 36 years, directly supervised all field sampling, the analysis of these data and wrote this report. Assisting with the field sampling and data analysis were Mr. Benito Garcia Felix and Ms. Loraine Crofts. METHODS PLANT COMMUNITY MAPPING Vegetation Mapping. The boundaries of the vegetation types in the proposed CAM- Colorado LLC, Fruita Unit Train Loadout permit area were delineated as required in Section 2.04.10(1) which requires that plant communities be delineated based upon the basis of visually dominant plant species. Two major plant community types were delineated on this site. This vegetation mapping was prepared by either walking the vegetation boundaries of the proposed permit area with our GPS unit or by the careful analysis of detailed color aerial photography taken of the proposed site on 5 May 2010. Maps, in both electronic and hard paper format, of all of the proposed disturbance areas along with proposed reference area locations to be sampled in this vegetation monitoring effort were supplied by Mr. James E. Stover. VEGETATION SAMPLING The specific sampling methodologies used in this evaluation are those found in the Division's "Guidelines with Land Use and Vegetation Requirements of the Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Board for Coal Mining" issued in June of 1988, the undated "Guideline for the Management of Noxious Weeds on Coal Mine Permit Areas, and the "Guidelines Regarding Selected Coal Mine Bond Release Issues" issued April 18, 1995. In addition, the existing regulation formally adopted September 14, 2005 by the Colorado Division of Minerals and Geology (DMG) now the Colorado Division of Reclamation, Mining and Safety (CDRMS) as Section 4.15.11 and corresponding documents were used with respect to sample adequacy calculations and statistical comparisons. A detailed delineation of the vegetation types found within the proposed CAM- Colorado LLC - Unit Train Load Permit Area is shown on Map 3, Permit Area Vegetation Map. This map was prepared, using detailed aerial photography of the site with a map scale of one inch equals 200 feet and corresponds to a topographic map with two -foot contour intervals. This orthophoto shows the extent of all vegetation types to be affected within the proposed unit train loadout area, as well as the location of each vegetation sample transect location used to evaluate plant cover, herbaceous production as well as shrub density. The vegetation boundaries of all lands located within one -half mile of the proposed Unit Train Loadout permit area are shown on Map 4, Adjacent Area Vegetation Map. Prior to commencing the field sampling efforts and during the preparation of this baseline vegetation monitoring report, the vegetation sampling requirements found in Sections 2.04. 10