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well-adapted. Western wheatgrass appears faily consistently to indicate the <br />• presence of finer-textured soils of shale influence; neither the grass or <br />these soils is widespread in the area. <br />• <br />Fire, grazing, and drought may also affect species distribution and com- <br />position. No apparent effects from fire are discernible in the permit area <br />and the history of fire is not known. Grazing by domestic livestock has taken <br />place for decades by both sheep and cattle, and the present good range con- <br />dition indicates no history of serious abuse. The presence, however, of exo- <br />tic species such as Kentucky bluegrass and Timothy, is probably an indirect <br />result of the livestock industry. Recent drought has reduced plant vigor and <br />productiun, nnicii it prolonged in conjunction with overgrazing could drasti- <br />cally alter species composition in a short period of time. <br />The mine was originally permitted in 1979. Disturbances by vegetation <br />type were not defined until Pit 4 was being planned. <br />The following refer to combined disturbed and proposed for disturbance <br />acreages for Pit 4 and the Pit 4 haul road: <br />Aspen <br />Mountain brush <br />Sagebrush <br />• <br />41.6 acres <br />64.5 acres <br />58.7 acres <br />II.J-20a <br />12/87 <br />