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i i i trees may also occur. Vegetation density varies from 20 to 24 percent. Total annual forage yield varies from 700 to 713 pounds of air dry forage per ar_.rP. Range condition was classified as good- The Loamy Foothill Community, surveyed in 1975, typically included the following grasses: galleta, squirrelta~.l, Indian ricegrass, needleandthread, blue bunch wheatgras=, blue grama, mutton grass, cheat.grass and sixweeks fescue. Forbs and shrubs include: big sagebrush, snake weed, fourwinq saltbush, prickly pear scarlet globemallow, winterfat, aster. brisketroot and Russian thistle. Occasional individual P1nyCn and Juniper may also occur. Vegetation density varied from 10 to 30 percent. Total annual forage yield varied from 385 to L000 pounds of air dry forage per acre. Range condition was classified as from poor to good. The Pinyon-Juniper Woodland community within the permit area predominantly occupies the shallower side slopes of the benches and drainages. Soils are dominantly complexes of rocky sandy loams, loams and clays rang~.ng in depth from 0 to 23 inches with some deeper soils up to 60 inches in depth included. The soils are both residual and alluvial xn or~q~n. The growth and devel- opment of the individual plants is strongly influenced by the soil. type and dept.h_ Slopes range from 3 to 30 percent and although the predominant =lope of the land=_.cape is to the north, east and west aspects are more dominant within the proposed permit area. The Pinyon-Juniper Woodland site within the pro- posed permit area typically includes the follow~.nq grasses: cheat9rass, Lndian rzcegrass, mutton grass and blue grama. Forbs and shrubs Include: mustard, 8~g sage, fourwing saltbush, and snake weed. Although classified as a Pinyon-Juniper Woodland, this site within the permit area includes a limited number of Pinyon and Juniper trees. A past history of range improvement and clearing ham- el~.minated a large percentage of these spec~.es from the area and only scattered stands still remain. Tree canopy varies from 1 to 15 percent throughout. the site. The SCS range site survey of the area did not. address canopy class. Overall ground Cover is 3U percent with 3n annual torage produc- tion of 100 to 500 pounds of air dry forage per acre. Range condition was not. cl.asslfied but could be considered as poor to fair given the low forage product~.on factor. Historically the proposed permit area has been used as grazing land for domestic livestock. Because of the absence of any restrictive tences, wildlife species such as deer, elk, and small mamma Ls have also utilized the area- This area was grazed heavily by wild horses up until their total removal by the BLM ~n 1985. An irrigation project. partially developed in the area w.as abandoned early in its history because of the lack of a depend- able source of irrigation water and this area reverted back to range land.