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EXHIBIT J VEGETATION INFORMATION (a) Under present conditions, the upper terrace is chazacterized by introduced agricultural plantings with approximately 90% vegetative cover. The actively irrigated portions consist of alfalfa (Medicago sariva), red clover (Trifolium prarense), smooth brome (Bromus inermis), and orchid grass (Dacrylis glomerata). In the areas that aze not flood irrigated, the cover is predominantly alfalfa and grass that has been invaded by weeds such as bull thistle (Cirsium vulgate), Canada thistle (C. arvense), hound's tongue (Cynoglossum officinale), gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa), and knapweed (Centaurea picric). The steep slope from the upper terrace to the lower terrace is heavily browsed and disturbed shrubland. The steep slope and the lower terrace will not be disturbed by the mining operations. The predominant vegetation along this slope is big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata), skunkbrush sumac (Rhus trilobata), Rocky Mountain juniper (Juniperus scopulorum), serviceberry (Amelanchier utahensis), and rubber rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus). The understory consists of Indian ricegrass (OryZOpsis hymenoides), pasture sage (Artemisia frigida), white heath aster (Aster ericoides), great mullein (Verbascum thapsus), hound's tongue, bull thistle, and virgin's bower (Clematis ligusticifo[ia). The lower terrace will not be disturbed by the mining activities. However, we have included this section for information purposes. The cattle grazing has impacted the plant species presence and abundance. The lower terrace along the Eagle River floodplain include the following vegetation: narrowleaf cottonwood (Populus angustifolia) with a relatively open stand of trees 35-40 feet tall and with diameters - at -breast heights in the range of 12 - 18 inches and a few mature Engelmann spruce (Picea engelmannii). The dense herbaceous understory consists of Kentucky bluegrass (Poa pratense), Baltic rush (Juncus ba[ticus), smooth Broome, redtop (Agrosris gigantea), and three-squaze bulrush (Scirpus americanus). Isolated individual shrubs consist of Wood's rose (Rosa woodsii), hawthorn (Crataegus rivularis), and a few young Rocky Mountain junipers. In the lower terrace, aeeas with moist soils or shallow water consist mostly of wet meadows and shrubby wetlands. The major plant species in these aeeas include Nebraska sedge (Carex nebraseensis), water sedge (Cares aquatalis), beaked sedge (Carex utriculata), redtop, Baltic rush, arrowgrass (Trig[ochin maritima), foxtail barley (Hordeum jubatum), creeping spikerush (Eleocharis palustris), and broadleaf cattail (Typha latifolia). The shrubs on the edge of these wet meadows or in slightly drier aeeas include alder (Alnus incana), Wood's rose, dogwood (Corpus stolonifera), hawthorn, sandbaz willow (Sa[ix exigua), and mountain willow (Salix monticola). Also, small meadows dominated by saltgrass (Distichlis spicata) interphase with the wet meadows and shrubby wetlands.