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disposal area, and dewatered tailings disposal area. Most of the individual sagebrush shrubs occurring on the site are quite large ' and mature, thereby constituting the bulk of cover and plant biomass in this vegetation type. Other shrubs that occur in much lower abundance are rabbitbrush, four-winged saltbush, snakeweed, common gooseberry, and yucca. Grasses make up very little of the overall cover with the most common species being squirreltail, blue grams, and Indian ricegrass. A few pinyon trees occur scattered in the sagebrush on the project site. Plant species and cover values for ' this vegetation type are given in Table J.2-1. J.2.3 Pinvon Juniaer Woodland This vegetation type occurs on the low ridges and foothills on and around the project site. It is the dominant type in the area of the proposed open pit mine. Pinyon is the major tree species in this type with juniper typically less than 10 percent of the tree cover. Sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and mountain mahogany form a shrub understory among fairly widely-spaced trees. A diversity of grass and forb species are present, but in spite of this diversity grasses and fortis contribute little to overall cover and biomass. Table J.2- 1 provides a list of the plant species observed and cover values for each species within this type. On the south-facing slopes and deeper drainages of the mine site, the pinyon juniper woodland is interspersed with widely spaced trees or small groves of Douglas fir, ' white fir, and ponderosa pine. J.2.4 Montane Coniferous Forest The montane coniferous forest is comprised of an almost even mixture of Douglas fir and ponderosa pine with widely 1 scattered white fir, pinyon, and juniper trees intermixed. This forest occurs in most areas on north-facing slopes, and at higher elevations than the other project area vegetation types. Within the project area, the coniferous forest occurs as small groves in moist draws on the upper slopes above the East Pit J-7 1