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• <br />G. Vegetation - The entire area within the proposed coal lease site was <br />aerially spra}'ed in 1964 as part of a range improvement project <br />d to remove a dominating sagebrush vegetative type canopy. <br />Despite the removal of the shrub cormnunity 16 years ago, the area has <br />largely reCurned to its original complc~nent of native perennial <br />vegetative species. Today, the proposed lease site is largely com- <br />posad of a mosaic of shrub-grass type vegetative communities. These <br />cos~~unities are derived from the mountain loam, dry exposure range <br />sites. The predominant perennial species in these areas are big ~~ <br />sagebuush (Artemesia tridentata), fringed sagebrush {Artemesia frigida), <br />• <br />a variety of rabbitbrushes (Chr}'sothamnus spp.), Idaho Fescue (Festuca <br />idahoensis), sheep fescue (Festuca ovina), mutton bluegrass (Poa <br />fendleriana),~pine need le grass (Stipa pinetorum)", Junegrass (KO eleria <br />cristata), several species of wheatgrass (Agropyron spp.) and numerous <br />varieties of buckwheat (Eriogonum spp.) and phlox (Phlox spp.). <br />Other vegetative type communities found within the site occur <br />within the lower relief areas and are composed of salt-tolerant <br />grassland-shrub associations. These lower relief areas consist of <br />clay pan, salt flat and ephemeral drainage bottom type range sites <br />which are dominated by sod-forming grasses and grass like plants.- <br />Major among the herbaceous species are western wheatgrass (Agropyron <br />smithii), streambank wheatgrass (Agropyron riparium), numerous sedge <br />species (Carex spp.) and several varieties of bluegrass (Poa spp.). <br />Important shrub species found within these areas are big sagebrush <br />(Artemesia tridentata), alkali sagebrush (Artemesia lonjiloba), gray <br />horsabrvsh (Tetrad~~nia canescens), black grease~:ood (Sarcobatvs vermicu- <br />laws and vasey rabbitbrush (Chrysotha^_ncs vase;'i). <br />19 <br /> <br />