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09/19/00 TIIE 11:51 FAS 9702411518 Dlinerals & Geolo6F G Jci f~003 l -., • • areas by pasture grasses. Numerous woods rose shrubs and some small Russian olives were scattered through the pasture (Photos 2, 3, and 4). Directly to the north of this pasture was an area which was not currently imgated, but had at one time apparently been farmed (Photo 6). Current vegetation is limited to annual weeds and Russian knapweed, and there is a prairie dog town at this location. Map designation of Irrigated Pasture would appear to be incorrect. Directly to the west of this "old field" was a poor condition irrigated pasture dominated by Plantago and Russian knapweed. Within this weedy pasture was an area of 1 or two acres with a moderately productive stand of Kentucky bluegrass, sweetclover, and orchazdgrass (Photo 7). "Site 2" on the photo-map was just to the north of a Swale feature in the western portion of the expansion azea, to the north of the main east-west gravel road which divides the expansion. The field here appeared to be a productive irrigated pasture site, supporting pasture grasses including orchardgrass, tall feswe, smooth brome, aitd Kentucky bluegass, but the field had been grazed by cattle earlier this season (Photos 8 and 9). The northern portion of this field had apparently not been irrigated subsequent to being grazed earlier this year (Photo 10, foreground). In the far backgound of Photo 10 is a large imgated field, which Tim Leine said was owned by Mr. Morgan. The field is mapped as imgated hayland, and in most areas appeared to be quite productive. There was a small herd of cattle in the field at the time of our visit. Tim Irvine did not know whether the owner planned to harvest hay from the field this year or not. An area in the eastern portion of the field had apparently not been irrigated this year. Directly north of Site 2, across a Swale to the north is a large field mapped as irrigated pasture, surrounding a farmstead. This field had not been grazed this year, and much of the field was very productive, with waist high pasture grasses and legumes (Photos 11, 12, and 13). It seems likely that this field would be harvested for hay this year. Current management of this field, and the "irrigated hayland" owned by Mr. Morgan, described previously, raise the question of what the distinction is at New Horizon between Irrigated Pasture and Irrigated Hayland. Is this distinction "real" and appropriate, or would all of these fields fit the "pastureland" definition of the regulations? This may need to be clarified, with mapping, success standards, and sampling requirements adjusted if appropriate. Currently, the only standard for irrigated hayland is production, while both cover and production standards apply to irrigated pasture. 1'o the west of the productive farmstead pasture is a native sagebrush parcel (Photo 14). Herbaceous understory in•the sagebrush is weak, primariiy cheatgrass and annuals, with some blue grams. To the north, the land slopes steeply toward Tuttle Draw. The steep north facing outcrop is erroneously mapped as pinyon juniper; it should have been mapped as sagebtush (Photo 15, foreground). Between the base of the steep slope and Tuttle Draw, in the extreme northwest comer oC the expansion area, is a productive imgated pasture (Photo 15, main portion). Our tour of the imgated pastureland and haylands concluded at this point. My thinking is that operator needs to clarify the distinction between hayland and irrigated pastureland, and amend the mapping and text as appropriate. With respect to baseline sampling of these types, I see no point in having the operator collect data from the weed infested "old field", or similar sites, poor condition weed dominated irrigated pasture, or fields occasionally irrigated but not being irrigated this year. The operator should have set out production cages early this spring in fields to be r