2013-10-02_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (3)

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RULE 2 PERMITS _ .. , .. • comprised approximately 29 percent. Aspen comprised 13.6 percent of the area. A small area of Douglas fir comprised less than 1 percent of the azea. Several small areas of Juniper comprised less than 1 percent of the azea. Areas of native or improved haylands comprised approximately 1 percent of the study area. Several other vegetation types occurred along the proposed railroad corridors. A small area of riparian forest occurred along Wilson Creek. Greasewood vegetation type occurred along the lower stretches of both Wilson and Good Spring Creeks. Wheat and barley are planted in cultivated lands along the proposed Wilson and Good Spring Creek railroad corridors. Ashen -The aspen vegetation type occurred primarily on northwest Facing slopes at elevations above 7,400 feet. Large continuous stands of aspen occurred along the upper portions of the West Fork of Good Spring Creek in sections 6, 31, and 32. In sections 19 and 20, aspen stands occurred on northwest facing slopes leading to the East Fork of Wilson Creek. Atypical view of the aspen vegetation type within the study area is at Figure 3.1 of Exhibit 10, Item 5. Two distinct phases occur within the aspen vegetation Type; a shrub dominated understory phase and an herbaceous understory phase. The shrub-dominated phase occurred at lower elevations and was dominated by westem snowbeny. The majority of the study area was comprised of this phase. The other herbaceous understory phase was dominated by perennial forbs, the most prominent being sweet anise, Porter's ligusticum and peavine. This phase occurred at higher elevations and was the principal phase within the reference area. These phases have been recognized in the nearby White River National Forest (Hoffman and Alexander, 1983). They indicate that the snowberry phase occupies the lower edge of the aspen zone and was classified as the driest of any of the phases in thew study. In the drier direction of the phase it is replaced by mountain shrub or sagebrush vegetation. The herbaceous phase was described as having a continuous layer of forb species with the near absence of shrub species. Fendler meadowrue may dominate on more well-drained soils while Porter ligusticum and sweet anise dominate on less well-drained soils. The aspen reference area was • located in the extreme southern portion of the study azea in sections 1 and 6. It was located on a moderately steep northwest facing slope at an elevation of 8,600 feet. Tree canopy is continuous. A photograph of the reference azea is located at Figure 3.2 of Exhibit 10, Item 5. Totai understory vegetation cover within the study area aspen type was 66.9 percent (Table 3.3 of Exhibit 10, Item 5). Bare ground was 6.5 percent, while litter and rock cover combined was 26.5 percent. Perennial grasses had 18.3 percent cover while perennial forbs had 34.1 percent. Dominant grasses included Kentucky bluegrass, nodding brome and blue wildrye. Dominant forbs included sweet anise, and western yarrow. Woody species had 23.1 percent cover with western snowberry as the dominant shrub. Total vegetation cover within the aspen reference area (78.1 percent) was higher than that of the study area (Table 3.3 of Exhibit 10, Item 5). Baze ground exposure was 2.4 percent, while litter and rock cover combined was 19.4 percent combined. Compared with the study area, perennial grasses and shrubs were lower with 4.0 and 9.9 percent cover respectively. Perennial forbs however, were higher with 55.5 percent. Dominant forbs included sweet anise with 19.6 percent cover and Porter's ligusticum with 8.5 percent cover. The mean herbaceous production within the aspen vegetation type of the study azea was 129.1 grams per square meter (Table 3.3 of Exhibit 10, Item 5). Perennial grasses comprised the majority of the production with 68.7 grams per square meter. Kentucky bluegrass, nodding brome and blue wildrye were the dominant grasses. Perennial forbs produced an average of 48.3 grams per square meter. Ballhead waterleaf and leguminous :: ;rbs were the highest producers. Mean herbaceous production in the aspen reference area was 121.2 grams per squaze meter. Perennial forbs produced more than 86 percent of the total production with 105.4 grams per square meter. Sweet anise, ballhead waterleaf, Porter's ligusticum and leguminous forbs (predominately American vetch and aspen peavine) were dominant. Mean annual above ground herbaceous production in the reference area did not exceed that of the study area samples. • Therefore a test for equivalency of the reference area was made and it was found to be equivalent. Sou[h Taylor/Lower Wilson-Rule 2, Page 65 Revision Date: 1/31/07 Revision No.: PR-02