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. sagebrush reference area. A site west of the Nucla-Naturita Airport (see Attachment 2.04.10-1 Location of Reference Areas) was select far several reasons. First, the land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM was willing for WFC to establish a 3 acre dryland pasture reference area adjacent to their existing dryland pasture reference area in exchange for sharing data on the site. WFC agreed to share whatever data they collected with the BLM. Secondly, the selected site was on a mesa top similar to the New Horizon II permit expansion study area. Most of the mesa had been chained, plowed, disked and seeded to crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) approximately 25 years ago. The crested wheat was well established and has recieved only light to moderate grazing pressure according to the BLM and the permitee (Zene Wiemer). The site also is at approximately the same elevation and receives the same precipitation as the study area. For the 1999 study period, the BLM reference plot was sampled for cover, production and woody stem density. The BLM agreed to allow 10 randomly placed 1 square meter range enclosure cages to be placed on the site for future reference and sampling. The dryland reference area occurs on shallow soils similar to those found in soil map unit 98C. In 1999, no cattle grazing had occurred according to BLM and the permitee. All grazing up to the time of sampling was by wildlife. • The second dryland reference area, which shall be called the Airport Dryland Reference area (ADR) was established in the summer of 2000. The ADR area is located east of the 1999 Dryland Reference area by a quarter of a mile and is on the western limit of the Nucla Airport fenced property line. The ground, seedbed preparation and vegetation is similar to the 1999 Dryland Reference area and the NH2 dryland reclamation. The Airport Dryland Reference area has had no know domestic livestock grazing since it falls within the active airport runways. It was discovered during the 2000 vegetation study that the 1999 Dryland Reference area had been heavily grazed by domestic livestock. WFC did not know this heavy grazing practice by the permittee would be conducted when the area was first evaluated as a reference area. WFC tried but could not get permission from the BLM permittee to install a protective fence for the reference area so a new area was needed. This is why the Airport Dryland Reference area was established. The 1999 vegetation study conducted on the 1999 Dryland Reference area will be combined with the 2000 vegetation study conducted on the Airport Dryland Reference area for Phase II & III Bond release on portions of NH1. If the two consecutive years vegetation study is favorable, then • (REVISED 8/15100) 2.04.1 <) - 76