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Dominant taxa were big sagebrush* (Artemisia lridentata vas wyomingensis), bottlebrush squirreltail <br />(Sitanion hys&ik), and galleta (Hi /aria jamesii), with 12.4 %, 3.3 %, and 3.0% average cover, respectively. <br />With regard to diversity (Table 2 and Chart 3), Sagebrush Reference Area A exhibited only 1 warm - <br />season and 2 cool- season perennial grasses and 0 forbs with between 3% and 40% relative cover. In <br />this regard, this reference area would have failed 2 of 3 categories with regard to the diversity standard. <br />Total relative cover for all forbs excluding noxious weeds in the reference area was 2.1 %. Plates 9 and <br />10 in Appendix A display typical vegetation conditions of the Sagebrush Reference Area A in 2010. <br />Ground cover of Sagebrush Reference Area B in 2010 (Tables 1 and 7 and Chart 1) consisted of <br />19.9% live vegetation, 0.3% cryptobiotic soil crust, 0.5% rock, 28.8% litter, and bare ground exposure of <br />50.4 %. Perennial cover across the unit averaged 19.2% with annual and biennial cover averaging 0.7 %. <br />Dominant taxa were big sagebrush, bottlebrush squirreltail, and western wheatgrass (Agropyron smittâ–ºii) <br />with 9.5 %, 4.3 %, and 2.7% average cover, respectively. With regard to diversity (Table 2 and Chart 3), <br />Sagebrush Reference Area B exhibited only 1 warm - season and 2 cool - season perennial grasses and 0 <br />forbs with between 3% and 40% relative cover. In this regard, this reference area would have failed 2 of <br />3 categories with regard to the diversity standard. Total relative cover for all forbs excluding noxious <br />weeds in the reference area was 2.0 %. Plates it and 12 in Appendix A display typical vegetation <br />conditions of the Sagebrush Reference Area B in 2010. <br />Ground cover of the Grassland Reference Area in 2010 (Tables 1 and 8 and Chart 1) consisted of <br />24.1% live vegetation, 0.1% cryptobiotic soil crust, 2.9% rock, 22.6% litter, and bare ground exposure of <br />50.3 %. Perennial cover across the unit averaged 23.3% with annual and biennial cover averaging <br />0.93 %. Dominant taxa were needle- and - thread and blue grama with 16.60% and 3.93% average cover, <br />respectively. With regard to diversity (Table 2 and Chart 3), the Grassland Reference Area exhibited only <br />1 warm - season and 0 cool- season perennial grasses and 1 forb with between 3% and 40% relative <br />cover. In this regard, this reference area would also have failed 2 of 3 categories with regard to the <br />diversity standard. Total relative cover for all forbs excluding noxious weeds in the reference area was <br />6.6 %. Plates 5 and 6 in Appendix A display typical vegetation conditions of the Grassland Reference Area <br />in 2010. <br />3.4 2010 Production <br />Table 3 and Chart 2 presents summarized herbaceous production data from the Hamilton Mine and <br />Tables 9 through 13 present raw data collected in 2010. As indicated on these exhibits Mine Area No. 1 <br />* During data collection, Cedar Creek biologists noted that the sagebrush overstory within these reference areas (as <br />well as all surrounding areas) exhibited elevated levels of decadent and dead plants. It appeared that the stand of <br />sagebrush was recovering, but standing dead was still elevated over normal conditions. <br />CEDAR CREEK ASSOCIATES, Inc. Page 13 Hamilton Mine - Phase III Bond Release <br />Year 1 of 2 <br />