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<br />3.2.4 Failure to Augment or Maintain Adequate Stream Conditions in the MA <br /> <br />Reclamation is committed to protect the wetland/riparian habitat values in the MA for the life of <br />the ALP Project. Should Reclamation find, despite the above described efforts, that functioning <br />mitigation acres are shrinking, Reclamation will develop mitigation acres in other areas to <br />compensate appropriately. <br /> <br />3.3 Livestock Management (Fencing) Plan <br /> <br />Livestock grazing will be removed from the 1,135 acres of river valley bottomland within the <br />wetland/riparian (Table 1) and the upland areas of the MA by the installation and maintenance of <br />a functional external boundary fence. Thus, grazing will be removed from the river's zone-of- <br />influence as well as the valley walls and the upland terraces that border the existing <br />wetland/riparian area. The valley bottom will be regularly monitored to ensure livestock trespass <br />is not occurring. Any trespass identified will be immediately rectified. The only future <br />considerations for grazing on the mitigation lands will be under strict grazing management to <br />promote specific land management objectives (such as weed control). <br /> <br />3.4 Weed Management Plan (Integrated Vegetation Management) <br /> <br />The MA was assessed for the presence of problem areas infested with undesirable weeds. The <br />problem areas were delineated and mapped. Both the weed mapping and a description of the <br />weed composition within these problems areas are provided in Appendix C. Reclamation will <br />focus its initial efforts on the management of these problem areas to reduce the presence of <br />undesirable weeds for the purposes of restoring native wetland/riparian plant assemblages. <br /> <br />The initial weed management efforts will be focused on the riparian-forested/scrub shrub, <br />riparian meadow habitats and adjoining valley bottom upland habitats that are in the worst <br />condition. The initial acreage of weed management areas that will be treated are shown in Table <br />4. Figure II shows the relative density of known weed patches in the wetland/riparian area for <br />both herbaceous and woody species. <br /> <br />Table 4. Acreage of initial weed management areas in the La Plata River MA. <br /> <br />HuntiDlrtim Ranch Parcel Acres <br />Tract n Main Parcel 55.8 <br /> Northern Parcel 24.5 <br />Tract ill Single Parcel 64.1 <br />Total 144.2 acres <br /> <br />.36- <br />