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Soils <br />The soils mapped in the permit area consist of the Glendive, Havre, Nihill and Rivra series, which <br />are well too excessively drained and have formed in alluvial or colluvial sediments. Soils are <br />deepest in the valley bottoms and become shallower along the canyon sideslopes where they <br />intersperse with bare rock. All of the soils are rated good to fair as sources of topsoil for <br />reclamation. Limitations exist, however, for subsoils in the alluvium which demonstrate strongly <br />alkaline pH values. <br />Vegetation <br />The mine occurs within the lower montane climax region. Four distinct vegetation types occur <br />within and adjacent to the permit area. A greasewood shrubland type occupies the flat terrain along <br />the East Salt drainage. Big sagebrush shrubland occurs along drainages and sidedraws to East Salt <br />Creek where soils are deep and well drained Shadscale shrubland borders the greasewood shrubland <br />along the dry, steeper, south - facing slopes in the shallower soils, which are interspersed with rock <br />outcrops. Finally, Juniper woodland is found along the ridgetops and steep north and west - facing <br />slopes of shallow soils and rock outcrops. These vegetation types are common to western Colorado <br />and Utah. <br />Fish & Wildlife <br />Numerous wildlife species inhabit the permit area at various times of year, including mule deer, elk, <br />and black bear. The rimrock on higher slopes are important nesting habitat for raptors, particularly <br />golden eagles. <br />Cultural and Historic Resources <br />A number of cultural resource studies were prepared for the initial permitting and subsequent <br />proposed Central Facilities expansion in the late 1970's to mid 1980's. Two pre- historic sites and <br />three historic sites were identified within the project boundaries as proposed at the time. Two of the <br />prehistoric sites that would have been impacted or potentially impacted by proposed mine <br />development were determined to be eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. Both sites <br />(designated 5GF1147 and 5GF742) were located on BLM property near the mouth of Munger <br />Canyon. Both sites include rock art panels attributed to Ute Culture, and one of the sites also <br />includes elements attributed to the Fremont Culture. Mine development that would have potentially <br />impacted the sites did not occur, and the development is no longer approved or proposed. <br />Description of the Operations and Reclamation Plan <br />The original mine facilities were constructed in 1977 under the USGS exploration permit, and <br />included the mine bench, portal and face -up developments, and access road. A small coal mine <br />waste disposal site was constructed in the fall of 2004, in lower Munger Canyon. A section of the <br />original access road was re- aligned in 2004 to accommodate development of the waste disposal site, <br />and the road up to the waste disposal area was re- designated as a haul road, to allow for haulage of <br />8 <br />