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3.3.3 SAGEBRUSH GRASSLAND <br />The sagebrush grassland vegetation type occurred on the tower elevations <br />of the study area on the ridges and southeast and southwest facing slopes. <br />The majority of type occurred north of West Fork. The sagebrush grassland <br />type within the study area was quite variable and several phases of the type <br />were noted. The most abundant phase was the sagebrush-snowberry phase(Figure <br />3.5 ). This phase occurred on the deeper soils and had an understory composed <br />primarily of Kentucky bluegrass, subalpine needlegrass, letterman needle= <br />grass, nodding brome and slender wheatgrass. In section 15 the mountain <br />shrub vegetation type has been converted to a sagebrush-snowberry phase by <br />mechanically removing all the large shrubs. In these areas snowberry was <br />more common than sagebrush. <br />The sagebrush-bluebunch wheatgrass phase occurred on shallow sails <br />usually on steep terrain (Figure 3.6 ). This type primarily occurs near <br /> <br />Highway 13 along Good Spring Creek. Study sites 18, 19, 21 and 25 are <br />representative of this phase of the sagebrush grassland type. Bluebunch <br />wheatgrass was the dominant grass species within this phase. <br />A grassland phase of the sagebrush grassland occurred on thin scabby <br />sites located on ridgetops primarily in sections 30 and 29 north of West Fork <br />(Figure 3.7 ). Here the phase occurred on southwest facing slopes. These <br />sites have served as bedding areas for sheep and cattle and are subject to <br />intense grazing. Sites 1, 23> 14 and Z are representative of this phase. <br />Grasses are the dominant group within this phase, with needleandthread, <br />western wheatgrass, and prairie junegrass being common. Shrub density within <br />the type is exceedingly low Douglas rabbitbrush was the dominant shrub. <br />The sagebrush grassland (Artemisia nova) phase occurs on one ridge <br />within the study area, in sections 30 and 19 (Figure 3.8 ). This phase has a <br />distinct dominant shrub layer of black sagebrush. Otherwise grasses were <br />17 <br />Exhibit 10, Item 5 - ~ kevision bate: 03/06/07 <br />22 Revision No.: PR-02 <br />