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-8- <br />The soils within the permit area consist of shallow to very deep clays <br />and clay loams, which are suitable as a plant growth medium. About 18 <br />and 12 inches of soil will be replaced in the cropland and rangeland <br />areas, respectively. <br />The proposed permit area consists of a mosaic of pinyon-juniper, mountain <br />shrub, old field and cultivated dryland wheat communities. The mountain <br />shrub community is found primarily on the lower slopes and drainages and <br />is dominated by Gambel's oak. The pinyon-juniper community occurs on <br />higher areas and in locations with shallow soils. In addition to pinyon <br />pine and Utah juniper, other common shrubs include Utah serviceberry, <br />Gambel's oak, true mountain mahogany, cliff Fendlerbush and squawapple. <br />Understory plants are relatively sparse. Dominant shrubs in the old <br />field community are rabbitbrush, broom snakeweed, big sagebrush and true <br />mountain mahogany. The dominant grasses are cheatgrass and a wheatgrass <br />hybrid. <br />There has been no grazing on the site since 1979. The current land uses <br />are dryland wheat farming and wildlife use. <br />The Colorado Division of Wildlife considers the proposed permit area to <br />be a part of the region's critical winter range for deer and elk. <br />