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Blue Pit 112 Permit Amendment <br />Exhibit J - Vegetation Information <br />No trees are to be removed during the expansion of the Blue Pit. The vegetation of the expansion <br />area is primarily irrigated pasture which consists of alfalfa and other pasture grasses. Wildlife does <br />use the expansion area during various times in the year but this operation is not expected to <br />significantly impact wildlife, since the existing operation has not shown to do so. Additional <br />information concerning wildlife is included in appendix H. <br />The Property consists almost entirely of irrigated hay, with the most prevalent species consisting of <br />Smooth brome (Bromus inermis), Orchardgrass (Dactylis glomerata), Kentucky bluegrass (Poa <br />pratensis) and Dandelion (Taraxicum o.fficinale). There are also small contingents of alfalfa <br />(Medicago sativa), Sweetclover (Melilotus officinalis), Common plantain (Plantago major) and <br />Western salsify (Tragopogon dubius) amid the hayfields. Some fields have been recently planted <br />solely to alfalfa (Medicago sativa) with a nurse crop of oats (Avena fatua) to get the planting <br />established. The only non - hay - producing areas are roadside ditches, the edges of the existing <br />mining areas and the far northeast corner which is comprised of a mountain toe -slope covered with <br />pinyon - juniper forest. In these non - agricultural locations a variety of plant species can be found, <br />including Crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum), Slender wheatgrass (Agropyron <br />trachycaulum), Western wheatgrass (Agropyron smithii), Western yarrow (Achillea millefolium ), <br />along with more weedy species such as Ragweed (Ambrosia psilostachya), Tumblemustard <br />(Sisymbrium altissimum), Curlycup gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa), Kochia (Kochia scoparia), <br />Curled dock (Rumex crispus) and Russian thistle (Salsola iberica). <br />Undisturbed upland areas to the north of the Property (from the subdivision and beyond) are <br />dominated by Pinyon pine (Pinus edulis), Utah juniper (Juniperus utahensis), Big sagebrush <br />(Artemisia tridentata), Douglas rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus), Gambel's oak (Quercus <br />gambehi) and Mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus). The understory consists primarily of <br />Western wheatgrass, Kentucky bluegrass, Prickly pear cactus (Opuntia compressa), Galleta -grass <br />(Hilariajamesii) and various penstemons (Penstemon spp. ). There are no riparian areas nor wetlands <br />found anywhere on the Property, though there is a small stand of cottonwoods about half a mile <br />west of the Property where it is reported that eagle's sometimes perch during the winter months. <br />A list of plant species found on the property is provided in Table 1. <br />Blue Pit May 2014 J -1 <br />