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Table 11. Ecological Sites
<br />Ecological Site
<br />Potential Plant Community
<br />Acres
<br />Alkaline Slopes
<br />Galleta, Indian Ricegrass, Greasewood, Big Sagebrush,
<br />819
<br />BudSagebrush, Bottlebrush Squin-eltail, and Gardner Saltbush
<br />Salina Wildrye, Indian Riccgrass, Sandberg Bluegrass,
<br />Clayey Slopes
<br />Shadscale, Bottlebrush Squirreltail, Galleta, Spiny Horsebrush,
<br />1,249
<br />and Western Wheatgrass
<br />Basin Wildrye, Basin Big Sagebrush, Strcambank Whcatgrass,
<br />Deep Clay Loam
<br />Western Wheatgrass, Winterfat, Bottlebrush Squirreltail,
<br />18
<br />Prairie Junegrass, Shadscale, and Saltbush
<br />No Vegetation
<br />179
<br />None /Rock Outcrop
<br />Indian Ricegrass, Beardless Wheatgrass, Mountain Mahogany,
<br />PJ Woodlands
<br />Big Sagebrush, Prairie Junegrass, Bitterbrush, Pinyon, and
<br />506
<br />Juniper
<br />Bluebunch Wheatgrass, Western Wheatgrass, Big Sagebrush,
<br />Rolling Loam
<br />Serviceberry, Prairie Junegrass, Sand Lupine, Needle and
<br />141
<br />Thread, Indian Ricegrass, and Sandberg Bluegrass
<br />Semi Desert Clay
<br />Basin Wildrye, Western Wheatgrass, Slender Wheatgrass, and
<br />32
<br />Loam
<br />Nebraska Sedge
<br />Greasewood, Gardner Saltbush, Indian Ricegrass, Bottlebrush
<br />Semi Desert Loam
<br />Squirreltail, Western Wheatgrass, Big Sagebrush, and
<br />210
<br />Winterfat
<br />The proposed lease area has vegetative communities that have been previously degraded from
<br />heavy grazing use. These areas are dominated by non - native invasive annual species such as
<br />cheatgrass, mustards, pepperweed, and halogeton. Areas dominated by these invasive annuals
<br />provide little forage value for wildlife and livestock, and these plant species do not have root
<br />masses that are well developed and capable of anchoring soils especially during heavy runoff and
<br />rainfall. These areas are most noticeable in the Alkaline Slope, Clayey Slope, and Rolling Loam
<br />ecological sites. Sites dominated by annual invasive species within the lease area have crossed a
<br />transitional threshold that can't be fixed without intense management actions which would
<br />include herbicide treatments and seeding.
<br />Environmental Consequences of the Proposed Action:
<br />Direct and Indirect Effects: Approving the coal lease for the proposed area will result in
<br />disturbance to vegetative communities on approximately 56 acres. The disturbance will include
<br />the complete removal of vegetation on well pads and access roads. Disturbance would be
<br />relatively short -term, and there is the potential for a slight benefit to vegetative communities with
<br />proper reclamation with competitive species adapted to the sites. The recommended seed mix in
<br />the mitigation section below (see Table 12) would be used for all surface disturbing activities
<br />unless a specific site determines an alternative seed mix would be required promote successful
<br />reclamation.
<br />DOI- BLM -CO- 110 - 2012 - 0023 -EA 41
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