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Vegetation • i The vegetation of the application lands is comprised of scrub oak and sagebrush with an understory of grasses. There are stands of aspen and Engelmann spruce-Douglas fir on the upper north facing slopes. The grasses and mountain shrubs that have been identified are western wheatgrass, Indian ricegrass, oak brush, serviceberry, chokecherry, sagebrush, mountain brome and juuegrass. There is a unique riparian zone within the Bax Canyon drainage. A Cambel oak, hawthorne and chokecherry community is present far the firs[ 1/3 mile. A small grove of narrow-leaf cottonwood follows for approximately 100 feet. From this point, for the length of the canyon, the diversity of plant life dramatically increases. Amicro-climate exists within the upper two-thirds of the canyon. This is a result of the canyon's narrowness and aspect which craps in the cool air producing a diversity of plant species which include: Narrow-leaf cottonwood, box elder, Douglas fir, aspen, Gambel oak, chokecherry, serviceberry, Rocky mountain maple, mountain ash, redstem ceanothus, snowberry, sticky currant, mountain lover, western thimbleberry, Rudbeckia spp., wild raspberry, cow parsnip, Oregon grape, false Solomon's seal, bluntseed sweetroot, meadow rue, lupine, violet, bedstraw, columbine, Fremont geranium, blue gentian, bracken fern, Kentucky bluegrass, western wheatgrass, and brome grass. Land Use The topography is characterized as steep north facing slopes on the • southeastern margin of Crard Mesa. The application lands are between the North Fork of the Gunnison River and Minnesota Creek drainages at elevations ranging from 6,100 feet to 8,500 feet above sea level. The application lands support wildlife use, dispersed recreation and livestock grazing. The Forest Service Amended LRMP prescription designates the tract as 6B and 9A. Prescription 6B emphasizes livestock grazing and may provide recreation opportunities for semi-primitive non-motorized, semi-primitive motorized and roaded natural settings. Prescription 9A emphasizes management of all the components of the aquatic riparian ecosystem. The area is generally open co off road motorized use as identified on the "Gunnison Area Basin" Forest map. On the National Forest, tie Dry Fork Cattle and Horse Allotment overlays the proposed lease tract and is grazed by 507 permitted cattle from June 16 to October 1. Scockponds are located throughout the tract and could possibly be used as a source for drilling water. The BLM surface is within Livestock Allotment ;»i17; the allotment permits 900 sheep during the summer months. There are two rights-of-way located on the application Lands managed by the BLH, one power line (COC-36666) and Colorado State Highway 133 • (C-31589), see Map 1. These rights-of-way cross the northeastern portior. of the"proposed lease tract. After the application of the Coal 11