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II • • <br />' EXHIBIT J <br />Vegetation <br />' Due to overgrazing and disturbance from previous mining activities, the present <br />t plant community structure in most of the proposed 40 acre permit azea is atypical of the <br />region. Approximately 30% of the ground azea is devoid of vegetation, and there is an <br />' abundance of species whic]i typically invade disturbed areas, such as Yucca (Yucca <br />glauca), Spreading Gumweed (Grindelia squarrosa), and Giant Ragweed (Ambrosia <br />trifida)• For this reason, a plant community in an azea adjacent to the permit azea with <br />similar soil chazacteristics was chosen for analysis. This community, all of which is <br />associated with the soil type Nederland very cobbly sandy loam, is described im Table II. <br />' The dominant grasses aze Blue Grams (Bouteloua gractlis) and Western Wheatgrass <br />' (Agropyron smithii), with frequent occurrence of Pasture Sage (Artemisia ;frigida) and <br />numerous flowers of the family Compositae. Numerous Plains Cottonwoods (Populus <br />' sargentii) grow along the banks of Caal Creek. <br />According to studies cazried out by the Greeley office of the U.S. Soil Conservation <br />Service and presented in the Boulder County Comprehensive Plan (1978), the soil type in <br />' this azea corresponds to a range site designated "cobbly Foothill". The total annual <br />production of air-dry forage for this range site is estimated at 2000 lb/acre,. Assuming <br />' that no more .than 45% of this production is grazed, which represents sound range <br />management practice, and that 1 head of cattle (1 animal unit, AU) will utilize (eat and <br />' trample) 1000 lb/month, the carrying capacity of this range may be estimat~sd at 13.33 <br />acres/AU/yeaz. <br />1 <br /> <br /> <br /> <br />