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Exhibit Page 31
<br />EXHIBIT J - VEGETATION INFORMATION
<br />1. Source(s) of information: USDA Soil Conservation Service, Soil Conservation
<br />District, USDA National Forest Service, Colorado Natural Heritage Program, . NOTE:
<br />The site is identified as three potential /existing vegetative communities: see Maps C -1
<br />(existing) and F -2 (post - reclamation vegetation)
<br />2. Vegetative communities and conditions: As shown in tables J -1 and J -2.
<br />Table J -1. Vegetative communities:
<br />Community
<br />Ve etation laver and dominant species
<br />Pine Grasslands
<br />Grass and grass -like: Muttongrass (5 %), Kentucky bluegrass (5 %),
<br />R048AY255CO
<br />Cheatgrass, and squirreltail
<br />(Soil type 34)
<br />Forbs and shrubs: Yarrow (5 %), shrubby peastemun (5 %), lupine
<br />resent condition
<br />(5 %), serviceberry (15 %), snowberry (5 %), rabbitbrush (10 %), gambel
<br />Ready for mining
<br />oakbrush (30 %), sagebrush (black and big) (10 %)
<br />Fair
<br />Trees: Pinyon, isolated Juniper, very isolated Ponderosa.
<br />Grasses 100%
<br />Miscellaneous forbs and trace plants: dandelion, buckwheat, parsley,
<br />80%
<br />thistle, goldenweed, astrogulus, larkspur, squawbush, Indian
<br />500
<br />paintbrush, cactus, lousewort, phlox, groundsel, arrowleaf, balsamroot
<br />(30 -35 percent of total)
<br />Percenta es are composition by weight air -dried
<br />Pinyon- Juniper
<br />Grass, grass -like, forbs and shrubs similar to Pine Grasslands. (80%
<br />Savanna with Grass
<br />total)
<br />(Loamy Foothills)
<br />Trees: Pinyon Pine and Juniper, isolated Ponderosa (20% total)
<br />R035XY284CO
<br />Much of the savanna on this site is actually classifed by NRCS as pine
<br />(Soil type 145)
<br />grasslands but has overgrown with a more dense tree stand due to
<br />past overgrazing and fire suppression.
<br />Pinyon- Juniper
<br />Understory: Grass, grass -like, forbs and shrubs similar to Pine
<br />Woodlands (Mountain
<br />Grasslands, but more limited often bare. (30% total)
<br />Loam)
<br />Trees: Pinyon Pine and Juniper, isolated Ponderosa, Gambel oak.
<br />R048AY255CO (Soil
<br />(50% total)
<br />Types 44, 56, 102)
<br />As with the savanna, much of this sits' woodlands has been classified
<br />as loamy foothills and pine grasslands, but has been overgrown with
<br />more trees and shrubs due to past overgrazing and fire suppression.
<br />The Colorado Pinyon, Two - needle Pinyon, or Pinon Pine, (Pinus edulis) is a pine in the pinyon pine group
<br />whose ancestor was a member of the Madro- Tertiary Flora and is native to the United States.
<br />Junipers (Genus Juniperus) are coniferous plants of the cypress family Cupressaceae. Most common in
<br />this area is the Utah juniper, but both the oneseed juniper and the Rocky Mountain juniper (western red
<br />cedar) may be found with the Utah species.
<br />Table J -2. Status of vegetative cover:
<br />Area(s) on map
<br />Ground cover
<br />Rating
<br />Total yield /year (pounds,
<br />Composition by weight
<br />per centa a
<br />resent condition
<br />percent
<br />Ready for mining
<br />25 -50%
<br />Fair
<br />200
<br />Grasses 100%
<br />Undisturbed
<br />80%
<br />Good
<br />500
<br />Grasses 25% Forbs 50%
<br />Trees 25%
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