Mitsubishi Cement Corporation Cushenbury Mine 5808 Highway 18 Lucerne Valley, CA 92356

Reclamation Compliance Report 2009

Prepared by: JJ Restoration Service Jeff Crouse and Jenny Hinojosa, Habitat Restoration Specialists PO Box 2064 Lucerne Valley, CA 92356 (760) 680-9819 Abbreviation table

ƒ Mitsubishi Cement Corporation- MCC ƒ Surface Mining and Reclamation Act- SMARA ƒ Victor Valley Community College- VVC ƒ Mojave Sustainability Project- MSP ƒ Geographic Information System- GIS ƒ Global Positioning System- GPS ƒ California Department of Fish and Game- CDFG

Introduction

Mitsubishi Cement Corporation (MCC) is located north of Big Bear Lake and south of Lucerne Valley on the north-facing slope of the San Bernardino Mountain at an elevation of approximately 4600-6000 feet (Map 1). The operation mines limestone in an open pit with tiered benches. MCC follows the reclamation plan approved by the California Surface Mining and Reclamation Act (SMARA), the County of San Bernardino Surface Mining and Reclamation Ordinance and San Bernardino National Forest standards.

Vegetation on the site ranges from plant communities of Pinyon Juniper Woodland at higher elevations to that of Blackbush scrub at lower elevations with overlapping transition zones.

MCC is required to re-vegetate disturbed lands with native species, including the reintroduction the four federally listed calcium carbonate endemics that occur in limestone and dolomite substrates; Cushenbury Milkvetch (Astragalus albens), Parish’s Daisy (Erigeron parishii), Cushenbury Buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum) and Cushenbury Oxytheca (Oxytheca parishii var. goodmaniana). There is also a collection of sensitive species recognized by the California Native Plant Society.

The main goal in re-vegetation is to use native pioneer plants to establish the soil components necessary to allow the dominate species to thrive. By doing so the area is suitable for wild life habitat, exotic plants impact decreased, erosion is minimized, and the visual impact is lessened or negated altogether.

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 2 Mitsubishi Cement Corporation 5808 Highway 18, Lucerne Valley, CA 92356

Mitsubishi Cement Corp.

Current Re-vegetation Sites

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 3 Currently there are 14.86 acres under the re-vegetation process. The areas that were actively maintained during the 2009 year include the Demonstration Bench, 5030, 5075, and the 5098. The area totals 6.85 acres of active maintenance work; drip lines repaired, direct seeded with surrounding vegetation, site irrigated, weeded, and monitored herbivore use (bedding sites and browsing). The remaining 7.2 acres are in the growth stages and are watered twice monthly with a water truck. All sites listed below have mature plants of both pioneer and intermediate species and are capable of seed reproduction.

The benches of active maintenance work have experienced an excellent response to the new watering regiment with new growth on every island and in between the islands where sprayers were installed. The response from wildlife has been equal to the task of enjoying the new growth and that makes it very difficult to determine what some plant species are as they are chewed down and the defining characteristics are gone. The good news is that the plants are there doing what we hoped they would do, growing and feeding the ever important wildlife of our site.

Demonstration bench

Re-vegetation on the demonstration bench was started in March 2004 by the VVC’s Agriculture Department students with the establishment of two test islands. These islands were planted with fourteen different species of nursery stock. In November 2005 over 200 salvaged cacti and yucca were out-planted on to the site, and a seed mix was added. In

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 4 November 2006 the site was expanded and ripping was done along with high density seed applications. This site is MCC’s test area, allowing for the application of theoretical principals, allowing students to get hands on experience for their ideas.

The Demonstration bench is currently used by wildlife ranging from insects to Bighorn Sheep. This is evident due to the browsing on nursery stock plants in the shade structure, and the photos from the site’s wildlife camera.

5030

5042

5098

5075

5030

The 5030 bench has two different sections; east and west. Along both the east and west side are the main planting of the Cushenbury Buckwheat. The majority of these

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 5 plantings were done under the high wall and portions have been buried under the debris. The remaining plants have a very high vigor score average of 4.3 in the 2007 monitoring period and then again in 2009 with a score of 5. Vigor score is based on plant growth, ability to propagate, overall health of the plant (1-5).

The west portion of the bench was begun in 2004 with a high density of salvage plants used forming rough plant islands approximately 20 feet long and 8 feet wide on the bench floor between the high wall and the rockberm. Irrigation was accomplished using a drip system to the salvaged and nursery stock plants.

The east portion of the bench was begun November 2006 using a greater concentration of large tree limbs and organics mixed with the growth media. The islands formed from the growth media average 30 feet long and 8 feet wide. Irrigation was accomplished using a drip system to the salvaged and nursery stock plants.

The site has preformed very well over the 2009 year, plant species and diversity has increased along with the stability of the islands. Favorable weather patterns, repaired water lines, and an improved watering regiment led to the improvements in plant survivability and increased vigor scores. However predation upon these volunteers and new growth occurs almost daily due to the Bighorn sheep and deer in the area. This makes monitoring new growth difficult since most plants are eaten to a nub. Most of these pioneer plants include grass species, Rabbit-brush, Snakeweed, and the Eriogonum species.

In September this year Service Rock salvaged a variety of yuccas and other desert plants and donated them to MCC. Twenty Yucca schidigera (Mojave Yucca) and three Yucca whipplei (Our Lord’s Candle) were out- planted on to the site to provide height. These plants received water on a regular basis. When monitoring was completed in December, the Yucca whipplei had died, however the Yucca schidigera were doing well.

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 6 5030 Monitoring Table

Common Monitored Average Monitored Success Average Botanical 12/07 vigor 12/09 rate vigor California Eriogonum Buckwheat fasciculatum 5 2.6 4 80% 3 Our Lord's Candle Yucca whipplei 13 4.5 12 92% 5 Joshua Tree Yucca brevifolia 7 4.2 7 100% 4.5 California Juniperus Juniper californica 7 1.4 7 100% 2 Desert Prunus Almond fasciculata 18 2.8 17 94% 3.2 Cercocarpus Mahogany ledifolius 16 3.7 14 88% 4.2 Pinyon Pine Pinus monophyla 15 3.1 15 100% 3.5 Grass Achnatherum sp. 3 2.6 10 333% 3.2 Mormon Tea Ephedra viridis 4 3.5 4 100% 4 Paper Bag Salazaria Bush mexicana 3 3.3 2 67% 4.5 Acton's Encelia Encelia actoni 2 2.6 4 200% 3.8 Cushenbur Eriogonum y ovalifolium var Buckwheat vineum 6 4.3 6 100% 4.5 Mojave Echinocereus mound triglochidatus 3 4.3 3 100% 5 Guitierrizia Snakeweed sarothre 2 4.5 8 400% 5 Rabbit Chrysothamnus brush nauseosus 1 5 8 800% 5 Beaver tail Cactus Opuntia basilaris 1 5 1 500% 5 Echinocereus Hedgehog engelmannii var. Cactus munzii 1 5 1 500% 5

Total 107 3.1 127 114% 4.1

5075 and 5098

Both benches were out planted in November of 2005. The irrigation was accomplished using a drip system. The plants were split before planting with 80 percent planted on islands and the remaining 20 percent planted directly on the bench top itself. The plants that were planted directly on the benches are exposed to the harsh winds and sun with no nursing effects from surrounding vegetation or cover and have done poorly.

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 7 The plants on the islands have done significantly better but have suffered from predation. The roots of the plants on the islands are very capable in sustaining the plants through the active herbivore use and only the loss of water would endanger the plants further.

Experimental use of drip irrigation sprayers was added to the sites in 2008 after water lines were reestablished. The benefit of the added sprayers was to increase the recruitment of new species by putting water in a twenty foot diameter circle that would mimic a soft rainfall. This with the periodic rain and cooler temperatures worked in the site’s benefit.

The improvement of new recruitment and seed germination on this bench has been very good this year. The first one hundred yards of the bench has seen a thousand percent improvement in plant growth and recruitment, the number of plants per ten foot square is approximately twenty five plants. Most of these species are pioneer plants which are exactly what we had expected; we are seeing the beginning of intermediate species germination and the increase of the vigor scores of the climax species that had been previously out planted.

As with the 5030 bench, yucca species were out-planted on to the 5075 and 5098. On the 5075, sixteen Yucca schidigera were added to the site and four were added to the 5098 as well as one Yucca whipplei. All 21 of these plants are doing well and received watering regularly.

5075 Monitoring Table

Monitor Average Monitored Average Success Common Botanical 12/07 Vigor 12/09 Vigor Rate Antelope Bush Purshia tridentata 26 2.3 25 3.5 96% California Eriogonum Buckwheat fasciculatum 32 2.8 30 4 94% Mojave Echinocereus mound triglochidatus 12 3.8 12 5 100% Cercocarpus Mahogany ledifolius 159 2.5 158 3 99% Joshua Tree Yucca brevifolia 1 3 1 4 100% California Juniperus Juniper californica 13 4 13 4.6 100% Beavertail Opuntia basilaris 15 2.5 14 3.4 93%

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 8 Our lord's Candle Yucca whipplei 22 2.8 20 3.2 91% grasses Achnatherum 42 n/a 50 4.1 190% Rabbit Chrysothamnus brush nauseosus 52 3.4 60 5 116% Mojave Yucca Yucca schidigera 11 1.1 10 2.6 91% Desert Almond Prunus fasciculata 27 1.4 25 2 93% Echinocereus Hedgehog engelmannii var. cactus munzii 8 3.25 8 4 100% Acton's Encelia Encelia actoni 3 2.3 3 3 100% Pinyon Pine Pinus monophyla 3 2 3 3.5 100% Sandpaper Salazaria plant mexicana 4 2.75 4 3.4 100% Desert Eriogonum Trumpet inflatum 8 n/a 6 n/a 100% Mormon tea Ephedra viridis 2 3 2 3.7 100% Big Berry Arctostaphylos Manzanita glauca 2 5 2 5 100% Indian Rice Achnatherum Grass hymenoides 1 4 10 4 1000% Guitierrizia Snakeweed microcephala 13 2.5 24 4.5 200% Eriogonum Flat top deflexum 2 n/a 6 n/a 300% Mentzelia Blazing star laevicaulis 8 n/a 12 n/a 150% Turtle Psathyrotes annua 1 n/a 3 n/a 300%

Total 467 2.9 491 3.8 105%

5042

Late 2009, JJ Restoration Service was given a new area of 2.5 acres to re-vegetate on the east side of the pit below and around the 5098. We will focus on applying seed and plants that are palatable to the local population of both Bighorn sheep and Mule deer to increase good foliage to promote herd growth. Seeding will be done in December of this year, and waterlines installation and the planting will begin in the early part of 2010.

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 9 Seed Collection

The 2008 year proved to be excellent for seed collection, from annual species of wildflowers to dominant plants like Blackbush (Coleogyne ramosissima) and Cushenbury Buckwheat. All seeds were collected within the proper elevation parameter requirements and in the carbonate belt. Seed collection is a year-long process; this insures that the natural diversity of the site is collected. Seeds are cleaned and prepared for long term storage or for seasonal use.

Carbonate Endemic Management

In an effort to increase plant populations and information about Cushenbury Buckwheat (Eriogonum ovalifolium var. vineum), MCC has been donating various plant samples to different institutions. In 2005, samples were given to Victor Valley College AGNR Dept. for study and propagation. In early 2007, MCC took 10 living plant samples to Tree of Life Nursery; a nursery specializing in the growth and understanding of California native plants. Tree of Life Nursery was asked to find the correlating mycorrhizae fungi associated with Cushenbury Buckwheat and to successfully propagate the calcium carbonate endemic. Mycorrhiza is a fungus that forms a symbiotic relationship with a host plant. The fungus imbeds itself into the roots of the plant and reaching up to a meter further than the plant roots to find and absorb water, and nutrients for the plant in return for starches. It has been surmised by the plant and soil experts at Cal Poly Pomona (5) that 95% of all desert plants need a mycorrhizal fungus to survive.

These organizations were not able to successfully cultivate these plants. Mass propagation of Cushenbury Buckwheat methodology is being reconsidered.

Propagation methods for Parish’s Daisy (Erigeron parishii) and Cushenbury Milkvetch (Astragalus albens) have been established at Victor Valley College AGNR Dept. Parish’s Daisy is a member of the Aster family and is easily grown when planted in a well drained soil. Seed collection is difficult as the plant will go from full bloom to seed dispersal in 72 hours, with as few as one bud at a time maturing to seed collection stage. Cushenbury Milkvetch’s seed coat must be scarified with a very fine sand paper, just

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 10 enough to impart grooves in the seed coat. The seeds must then be soaked for 12 hours in water at 72 degrees Fahrenheit. The germination rates are approximately 30%. To compensate for the low germination rates seeds are then placed three at a time into 1.5 by 6 inch planting bands. The boxes are placed onto a mist bench to ensure that the soil does not dry out during germination. The plant band size is sufficient for the first year due to the plants slow growing nature.

Plants- Nursery Stock

Heavenly Growers in Apple Valley will be growing the remaining plants used in the restoration project. The owners have been working with high desert native plants for several years and were some of the first student leads from VVC working on the test islands on the demonstration bench at MCC.

This year we have three greenhouses working on re-vegetation plants. They are at different locations in the high desert. Heavenly Growers remains our production greenhouse while the other two, located in Lucerne Valley, are focused on experimental seed treatment, and the growing of more difficult re-vegetation plants.

Mitsubishi Community Activities

MCC is a contributing member of the Mojave Sustainability Project (MSP) which is a multi-faceted collaborative that serves as an educational forum through which the desert community will achieve sustainability (2). Through the MSP, MCC donates money and expertise to VVC allowing the Agriculture Department to offer the public unique and exciting classes that deal with re-vegetation, plant identification, plant propagation, sustainability and many other topics unique to the Mojave Desert. The college has a bridge program to the Lucerne Valley High School to allow the students in Lucerne Valley the chance not only to take college classes via satellite, but to allow them to help local businesses by growing plants for re-vegetation, attending tours at the mine sites, and housing a re-vegetation demonstration garden at their school.

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 11 Lewis Center for Educational Research’s Academy for Academic Excellence, a K-12 grade school in Apple Valley, approaches teaching with new techniques and strategies, applying a practical and hands on approach to education. MCC’s continued involvement helps the Lewis Center to excel in the world of natural science. Working with the head of the Science Dept., Matt Huffine, MCC personnel have helped develop planting guidelines, supplemental lighting, watering protocols, and individual instruction to students.

This year, the Lewis Center’s science department worked on introducing their middle and high school students to GIS and database work. In the spring semester, three high school students worked on the wildlife camera database. They were tasked with looking at the pictures from various drinkers in the Ord Mountains and recording key elements in an excel spreadsheet. They processed roughly 3000 pictures. (See below for more details on the camera project). In the fall semester Matt Huffine wanted to take the process further and do actual GIS work.

The biology department has obtained a licensed copy of ESRI’s GIS software and our own Bob Bennet will be teaching a few of Matt Huffine’s students the basics of GIS and incorporating campus restoration work and field studies. We hope this level of participation will help inspire students engage the sciences with the living world around them.

Considerations

Sharing the mountain side with the mines in Lucerne Valley is a population of Bighorn Sheep (Ovis canadensis nelsoni). MCC, SMI, and OMYA are helping the California Department of Fish and Game (CDFG), and the Society for Conservation of Bighorn Sheep (SCBS), gathering information about these sheep to determine herd size, range, and what effect mining has on the Bighorn Sheep.

The first annual Desert Bighorn Collaborative was conducted in September 2006. Topics covered were how could this information be used, what goals can be achieved and who could help correlate the data. The students of the GIS class of VVC had created a

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 12 working GIS database and map that would be the basis for the data and would help as a resource for the hardware needed for the project. The meeting was a good beginning to assess the resources’ available to the project team; those in attendance were CDFG, U.S. Forest service, Bighorn Sheep Society, MCC, Specialty Minerals and OMYA mine representatives, JJ Restoration Service, and VVC.

In September 2006 a Bighorn Sheep capture was organized by the CDFG and funded by MCC. The sheep were weighed, measured, blood samples were taken, their ears were clean out, fecal matter collected, and finally they are collared and tagged. The collars used provided useful information pertaining to location points taken by the GPS portion of the collar every four hours and head down or up as it was done. The GPS portions of the collars fell off the Bighorn Sheep after one year and were collected by CDFG and were entered into a GIS data base to better understand range, water needs, and carrying capacity of the habitat.

In October 2006, three wild life drinkers were purchased and installed at sites selected and verified by CDFG. These three drinkers are in addition to two other water sources where wildlife has been known to drink from on MCC property.

September 6th 2007, the second annual Desert Bighorn Collaborative was held at MCC. Those attending the meeting were CDFG, U.S. Forest service, Bighorn Sheep Society, Specialty Minerals, OMYA mine representatives, JJ Restoration Service, and VVC. The outcome of the meeting was that more information needed to be shared between the Forest service and CDFG concerning why a capture was being done and what data was collected verses the risk to the animal. Other topics included guzzler maintenance, monitoring of wildlife cameras, processing of raw camera data, uploading of data, updating of GIS data from upcoming collar drop, drought conditions, fire issues, seed collection and viability, and restoration site usage by ungulates. The participants concluded that very little is known about the Bighorn Sheep of this area and we must do all we can to establish a workable understanding so that decisions can be made based on facts.

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 13 On October 10th 2008, the third annual Desert Bighorn Collaborative was held at MCC. Those in attendance included CDFG, Bighorn Sheep Society, JJ Restoration Service and Onyx Mine Service. Roles and responsibilities were assigned during the meeting.

JJ Restoration Service has been assigned to help CDFG in the collection of pellet samples, mortalities and collar retrieval. In addition, a wildlife camera database project is being established; the collection, interpretation and processing of data into an active GIS program for research in the future.

MCC purchased six wildlife cameras to be stationed at all the water sources on their site. Data is collected monthly and information is incorporated into the GIS sheep project for the whole Mojave Desert. This information helps CDFG determine the number of animals that have not been collared, the general health of the animals, and the number of lambs recruited into the herd.

The data retrieved from both the cameras and collars show that the East end of the quarry is heavily used by the Cushenbury Bighorn Sheep, and that proactive management should include additional forage species on areas not actively being mined.

MCC contracted with Paul Kielhold to provide an assessment of Bighorn Sheep forage. Paul’s recommendation that the Bighorn Sheep will benefit from the young green growth in the re-vegetation sites and to include fast growing grasses and forbs. These pioneer plants will then allow the establishment of the dominate species and a wholly recovered habitat.

In February 2009, JJ Restoration Service attended the SCBS annual meeting and presented a PowerPoint to the board members on the habitat restoration efforts of the mines in Lucerne Valley including a credible effort to save Big Horn Sheep, and there habitat. It also explained the wildlife camera project up to that date.

On June 5th 2009, the SCBS held their annual Area Captain meeting. Area Captains are volunteers for CDFG who inspect and clean guzzlers/drinkers throughout the desert and desert mountain regions. Matt Huffine was invited to attend this year’s

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 14 meeting and became interested in working with his students on nearby drinker, guzzler, or spring work, allowing his students a unique opportunity to take part in helping the desert ecosystem and participating in something that very few people have an opportunity to do. JJ Restoration Service presented a PowerPoint at this meeting, explaining to the Area Captains about the camera project: who is involved, how the project will give us a better understanding of wildlife in the environment that we work in and examples of the raw and finished data.

On November 10th 2009, the semi-annual Sheep Summit held at Bass Pro Shop. In attendance were key players from CDFG, SCBS, and the California Foundation for North American Wild Sheep (CA FNAWS). Topics discussed: the Sheep surveyed from the aerial surveys by CDFG and review of the hunter’s clinic by Andy Pauli, the status of the Bighorn sheep plan by Tom Stephenson and Steve Torres, the wildlife camera project update- raw data by Bob Burke and Carlos Galinger, the wildlife camera project update- data side by Jeff Crouse and Jenny Hinojosa, maintenance and addition of wildlife drinkers by Gary Thomas, additions of remote monitors to key water developments by Steve Marschke, disease status in the White Mountain population and update on work to clean up the University of California/Loma Linda University domestic sheep research facilities in the White Mountains by Ben Gonzales, work with landowners in the Whites to reduce/eliminate domestic sheep grazing in proximity to winter range by Tom Stephenson, opportunities for enhancement of wild sheep populations and habitat that are available as a result of the Station Fire by Vern Bleich, report on the SCBS GIS data base (Desert Sheep Atlas) by Bill Mumbleau, proposals for additional hunting opportunity in California; the timing and process by Steve Torres, report on initiatives that might potentially cut corridors and any opportunities to negotiate wildlife corridors establishment by George Kerr and Gary Thomas, and finally the San Gabriel Bighorn sheep; current status and outlook by Jeff Villepique.

The cooperative effort of all employees has greatly helped in the management of the Cushenbury Heard. Employees have been filling out site cards whenever a sighting of Bighorn Sheep occurs. The sighting cards are were designed to help employees with the identification of males and females, the class of the males and age of the animals.

MCC Year End 2009 Re-vegetation Report Page 15

Conclusion

Re-vegetation in the desert mountains is not an easy task, with very little precipitation, very little topsoil, hot summers, cold winters and harsh winds. Most climax species here will take longer to reach maturity than the time period that MCC has owned and operated this mine. The wildlife for which the re-vegetation sites are intended, finds that the most tender shoots of young plants to be the perfect buffet. The native plants are so well adapted to their ecosystem that normal greenhouse propagation methods have to be discarded. New methodology is in the process of being developed for propagation. Each year more is understood; we build on the knowledge we have gained and share this with the students from the educational partners of MCC.

The relationships formed with the state agencies and the trust that comes with working hand in hand, help to accomplish what is the best way to achieve the goals of successful reclamation. MCC is meeting those goals and surpassing the previous standards.

References:

1. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Mycorrhiza

2. http://www.mojavesustainability.org/

3. Mitsubishi Reclamation Compliance Report 2006 table 2

4. Kielhold, Paul. Review of Literature Regarding Desert Bighorn Sheep Forage.

2007

5. Personal interview. Carlos Ruiz, Cal Poly Pomona graduate

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