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EXHIBIT J <br />VEGETATION INFORMATION (cont) <br />Rangeland - Most of the amended acreage south of the current <br />mine was used as pasture for grazing livestock. On the areas that <br />were not disturbed by mining the vegetation consists of mostly <br />grass with some cactus and sagebrush. Average annual production <br />is approximately 1,000 pounds per acre. The plant community is <br />80 to 90 percent grasses and 10 to 20 percent cactus and sage <br />brush. This area has a good grass cover because the site has not <br />been grazed for quite some time. <br />The species of vegetation found on the site are Blue grama, <br />Gallate, Western Wheatgrass, Sand dropseed, Buffalograss, and <br />Sideoats grama. These grass species makeup 85% to 90 %, by <br />weight, of the vegetation found on the site. <br />Disturbed Areas - Disturbed areas consist of the areas that are <br />stripped or being mined under the current DRMS Permit (M -2009- <br />027) and parts of an old mine area disturbed pre -1976. Disturbed <br />areas also include the sand and gravel processing plant areas, <br />aggregate stockpile areas, internal haul roads. Weedy species <br />occur along the edges of the fields and along roads and temporary <br />access roads that have not been historically controlled. <br />Between the current mining area and the county road is an <br />area that was mined sometime in the past. It appears that <br />whoever mined the area worked the face of the deposit back from <br />the county road until their project ended. We suspect this area <br />was mined to provide material for I -25 which lies 1.5 miles east <br />of the mine. This area has no topsoil on it and the vegetation <br />has more cactus and sage brush then the surrounding rangeland. <br />Average annual production is approximately 300 pounds per acre. <br />The plant community is 60 to 75 percent grasses and 25 to 40 <br />percent cactus and brush. <br />The species of vegetation found on the old mine site are <br />Blue grama, Western Wheatgrass, Sand dropseed, Little Bluestem, <br />Indian rice grass, Sideoats grama, Various speceis of cactus and <br />sagebrush. The grass species makeup 60% to 700, by weight, of <br />the vegetation found on the site. Ground cover is sparse in this <br />area in comparison with the undisturbed areas south of the old <br />mining face. <br />No rare, threatened or endangered plant species are known to <br />occur in the permit area. <br />43 <br />