PERMFILE111625

• Permit No: C1981008A
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 3/25/2003
• Section_Exhibit Name: NH2 Section 2.04.10 Vegetation Part 2
• Media Type: D
• Archive: Yes

• existing sagebrush reference area. A site west of the Nucla-Naturita Airport (see Attachment
2.04.10-1 Location of Reference Areas) was select for several reasons. First, the land is owned
by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM was willing for WFC to establish a 3 acre
dryland pasture reference area adjacent to their existing dryland pasture reference area in
exchange for sharing data on the site. WFC agreed to share whatever data they collected with
the BLM. Secondly, the selected site was on a mesa top similar to the New Horizon II permit
expansion study area. Most of the mesa had been chained, plowed, disked and seeded to
crested wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) approximately 25 years ago. The crested wheat was
well established and has recieved only light to moderate grazing pressure according to the
BLM and the permitee (Zene Wiemer). The site also is at approximately the same elevation
and receives the same precipitation as the study area. For the 1999 study period, the BLM
reference plot was sampled for cover, production and woody stem density. The BLM agreed to
allow 10 randomly placed 1 square meter range enclosure cages to be placed on the site for
future reference and sampling. The dryland reference area occurs on shallow soils similar to
those found in soil map unit 98C. In 1999, no cattle grazing had occurred according to BLM
and the permitee. All grazing up to the time of sampling was by wildlife.
• Unfortunately, in early 2002, WFC discovered that heavy cattle grazing had been allowed to
occur on the dryland reference area and that there was no guarantee to prevent heavy grazing
from occurring again in the foreseeable future. Accordingly, WFC proposed a new reference
area within the fenced perimeter of the nearby Montrose County owned and operated Hopkins
Field airport, where grazing was prohibited. After a field review of the proposed in-airport
perimeter reference area by CDMG personnel, it was decided that this new area was similar
enough to the 1999 area to authorize the replacement reference area and that the
characterization study for the 1999 reference area (see below) would suffice for the new area.
Technical Revision 42 formalized the change of reference areas. Attachment 2.04.10-1 shows
the locations of the current reference areas.
Total vegetation cover (first hit) for the type averaged 24 percent, with bare ground at 51
percent, litter at 21.6 percent, and rock fragments at 3.4 percent (Table 2.04.10-30). Lichen
and moss accounted for 0.1 percent of the mean cover. The perennial grass component
dominated with 23.2 percent cover and the annual grass component at 0.2 percent cover.
Shrubs had 0.6 percent cover. Consistent with the type designation, crested wheatgrass
• (REVISED 9/99) 2.04.10 - 86