2013-04-03_PERMIT FILE - X201322801 (2)

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Soils Soils in the exploration area are mainly derived from the Mesa Verde and Wasatch Formations and have relatively high clay content. By limiting the size of drill sites and retaining topsoil for reclamation purposes, revegetation success should not be a problem in this area. The revegetation of previous drill sites has been very successful within adjacent exploration areas. "Soils information and technical data were taken for the following soil survey completed for the project area. An Order III soil survey, entitled Soil Survey of Grand Mesa -West Elk Area (Cryer and Hughes, 1997) was used to characterize and describe the soils overlying that portion of the project area administered by the Forest Service. This survey each contains soil maps depicting the aerial extent of the soils delineated as well as map unit descriptions, typical pedon descriptions, and interpretation tables which were used to develop the text below. No site - specific soil baseline studies were conducted for the modification area as part of this project. Soils in the project area have developed from a combination of residual, colluvial, and alluvial materials derived from Local bedrock. The soil survey identified and described six map units within the tract. The map unit nane, percentage coverage within the modification area, dominant soil series and attendant percent map unit composition, relative depth, hazard classification (water erosion, shrink swell, and mass movement), are considerations as described in the soil survey are shown in Table 3.6." Final Environmental Impact Statement, Federal Coal Lease Modifications COC -1362 and COC- 67232, pages 98 -100, August 2012. Wildlife The exploration area is an important range for deer, elk, and bear. Other animals in the exploration area include coyote, rabbit, porcupine, beaver, squirrel, mice and other rodents. The proposed exploration program will be scheduled to avoid conflicts with the deer and elk on winter range and user conflict during big game hunting season. Operations will be located such as to not interfere with raptor nesting sites, including golden and bald eagle, and Peregrine falcon. Threatened or Endangered Species "A Forest species list was provided by the US Fish and Wildlife Service on 9 May 2008 (USDI 2008b). There is only one federally listed species that has the potential to be found in the project area, the Canada lynx. Other species considered are shown in Table 3.9 (incorporated by reference). As these species do not occur in the project area and no habitat for them will be impacted by the project, these species were not further analyzed in this document. " "3.10 Canada lynx The roads and pads (referring to Methane Drainage Wells but also applies to temporary roads and pads for exploration) will result in complete loss of habitat within the footprint of the same (pads of approximately 1 acre in size and road widths averaging 30') for the life of the project. After the mining is complete, these areas will be re- contoured and revegetated with grasses and forbs for erosion control in the short term, and are expected to revegetate to types consistent with their pre - disturbance condition in the long term. The project will therefore not remove habitat permanently from the landscape, but will remove it in the short- and mid -term, certainly within lifetimes of both lynx and their primary prey. 5