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3.2 Reference Areas Summaries <br /> 3.2.1 Mountain Shrub Reference Area <br /> The Mountain Shrub Reference Area is comprised of approximately 18 acres of gently to moderately <br /> sloping vegetation with a predominately northwestern aspect (mesic) and eastern aspect (xeric). Ground <br /> cover in the Mountain Shrub Reference Area (Table 1 and Chart 1) consisted of 46.0% live vegetation, <br /> 2.2% rock,41.6% litter,and bare soil exposure of 10.4%. Perennial cover across the unit averaged 41.2% <br /> with annual and biennial cover averaging 4.6%. No noxious weeds contributed towards cover except for <br /> cheatgrass. Cheatgrass comprised 0.2% cover in 2022. (Table 1 and Chart 1). Allowable perennial <br /> herbaceous cover across the unit averaged 17.6% (Table 1). Dominant taxa were roundleaf snowberry <br /> (Symohoricaroos rotundifiius), Gambel oak (Quercus gambeiii), big sagebrush and Geyer's Sedge (Carex <br /> geyeri) with 8.5%, 6.9%, 6.5%, and 5.6% average cover, respectively (Table 4A). <br /> 3.2.2 Sagebrush Reference Area <br /> The Sagebrush Reference Area is comprised of approximately 4.7 acres of gentle to moderately sloping <br /> topography that has a predominately northern aspect. Ground cover in the Sagebrush Reference Area <br /> consisted of 49.3% live vegetation, 2.7% rock, 32.4% litter, and bare soil exposure of 15.7% (Table 1 and <br /> Chart 1). Perennial cover across the unit averaged 33.4%, with annual and biennial cover of 14.2%, <br /> noxious cheatgrass cover of 1.7%,and 0.1%of other noxious weed cover(Table 1 and Chart 1). Allowable <br /> perennial herbaceous cover across the unit averaged 19.0% (Table 1). Dominant taxa were Japanese <br /> Brome, Prairie Junegrass (Koeieria macrantha), big sagebrush, and smooth brome (Bromus inermis) with <br /> 11.0%, 5.2%, 4.7%, and 3.6% average cover, respectively (Table 5A). <br /> 3.3 Sedimentology Evaluation <br /> The purpose of the sedimentology evaluation is to demonstrate that the completed revegetation and <br /> grading on the Phase II bond release block has achieved erosion control at least equal to pre-mining levels <br /> as required in Rule 4.15.1 (2) (b), and suspended solids delivered to streamflow outside the permit area <br /> will not exceed pre-mining levels as required under Rule 3.03.1 (3) (b). The methodology used is the <br /> Revised Universal Soil Loss Equation RUSLE using site-specific soil and vegetation data along with slope <br /> measurements comparing the bond release block and associated reference areas. <br /> 13 <br />