2018-07-09_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (24)

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RULE 2 PERMITS present knowledge within the industry dictates that a significant amount of sagebrush seed is necessary to consistently obtain desired emergence. Present knowledge also dictates that special care must be taken to plant sagebrush seed at precisely the correct depth (-1/16th of an inch) and at precisely the correct time of year (immediately prior to the first major snowfall event of the Fall). The greater the attention given to such details, the greater the potential for successful emergence. As with the reclamation seed mixture for grassland areas, the species and seeding rates indicated on this sagebrush steppe mix resulted from in-depth analyses of past mixes and the resulting emergence and dominance within revegetated areas. Furthermore, it is anticipated that the reduced competition from grasses, especially sod -formers like thickspike wheatgrass, will result in elevated diversity and better performance from certain poor producers such as big bluegrass, Rocky Mountain Fescue, Louisiana sagewort, bitterbrush, and Wood's rose. If performance of any of these taxa remains poor after additional attempts, they would be candidates for removal from the mix. Because the amount of grasses (and all sod -formers) has been substantially reduced for this sagebrush steppe mix, it is possible that on occasion, grass emergence may not be satisfactory for erosion control or life form diversity. In such circumstances a supplemental "inter -seeding" with the grassland mix may be necessary to "bolster" the grass and forb component of the community. This activity is allowed under Rule 4.15.7 (5)(g). Such an inter -seeding would only occur if adequate sagebrush or other shrub seedlings have emerged from the initial seeding, otherwise a "reseeding" or "augmented seeding" would be mandated. Furthermore, such an inter -seeding must occur within the first four years from the date of the initial seeding to avoid circumstances that would "reset the bond release clock". If "inter -seeding" is necessary on any units of land, CDRMS will be apprised in the Annual Reclamation Report. The high rate of seeds per square foot in the sagebrush steppe mix is simply a result of the small seed size for several taxa in the mixture (e.g., sagebrush at 2,500,000 seeds / pound). The individual species have been selected for their habitat forming characteristics for sage grouse during their brooding period. None of the individual seeding rates are excessive given the current state of knowledge, nor is the seeding rate per acre excessive for combination drill / broadcast seeding. However, this mix has not been designed to ensure quick erosion control for immediate stabilization of the topsoil and therefore, should not be used on slopes that exceed 10%. Furthermore, it may need to be planted intermittently (banding) with the grassland mix on long, low -gradient slopes. For additional information regarding this planting technique, see the "Planting and Seeding Methods" section below. The introduced taxon that is included in the seed mixtures above, (Cicer milkvetch), has been retained in the mix to provide forage for both wildlife (elk and sage grouse) and livestock. Furthermore, Cicer milkvetch is an excellent species for providing necessary habitat requisites for a variety of insects that in turn are especially important to sage grouse broods. It is a well- documented observation that insects comprise a very significant portion of young sage grouse diets. Similarly, the introduced species, small burnett, has been retained in the contingency species list Rule 2 Permits 2.05-32 Revision Date: 5/25/18 Revision No.: RN -07