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9.0 Discussion of Reference Areas <br />9.1 Original Sagebrush Reference Area <br />Only one reference area (the upland sagebrush type) existed for the Nucla Mine prior to <br />1999. The previous sagebrush reference area is located on a hill north of the New <br />Horizon 2 Mine and south of the New Horizon 1 reclaimed area. This reference area is <br />a native stand of shrubland dominated by big sagebrush. Furthermore, the majority of the <br />land within the mine permit area has either been disturbed or altered through agricultural <br />activities, mining, or reclamation, resulting in limited applicability of the upland sagebrush <br />shrub type reference area. This reference area was abandoned in 1999 after <br />establishment of the 1999 Reference Area. <br />9.2 New Dryland Pasture Reference Area 1999 <br />In the summer of 1999, a site meeting was conducted with Dan Mathews of the DMG, Jim <br />Irvine, vegetation consultant and Ross Gubka, mine engineer to locate a new dryland <br />pasture reference area that would be much more representative of the actual mined <br />reclaimed dryland pasture since the reference area would be comprised of primarily <br />perennial grasses. The area selected is shown on the map of Map 22 -2 enclosed in this <br />section. <br />The 1999 amendment approved the use of a new reference area for all reclamation of <br />dryland pasture and rangeland in the New Horizon 2 Mine area and also portions of New <br />Horizon 1 Mine area. A site west of the Nucla- Naturita Airport was selected for several <br />reasons. First, the land is owned by the Bureau of Land Management (BLM). The BLM <br />was willing for WFC to establish a 3 acre dryland pasture reference area adjacent to their <br />existing dryland pasture reference area in exchange for sharing data on the site. WFC <br />agreed to share whatever data they collected with the BLM. Secondly, the selected site <br />was on a mesa top similar to the New Horizon 1 and II permit areas. Most of the mesa <br />had been chained, plowed, disced and seeded to crested wheatgrass (Agropyron <br />cristatum) approximately 25 years ago. The crested wheat was well established and has <br />received only light to moderate grazing pressure according to the BLM and the Permittee <br />(Zene Wiemer). The site also is at approximately the same elevation and receives the <br />same precipitation as the study area. For the 1999 study period, the BLM reference plot <br />was sampled for cover, production and woody stem density. The BLM agreed to allow 10 <br />randomly placed 1 square meter range enclosure cages to be placed on the site for <br />future reference and sampling. The dryland reference area occurs on shallow soils similar <br />to those found in soil map unit 98C. In 1999, no cattle grazing had occurred according <br />to BLM and the Permittee. All grazing up to the time of sampling was by wildlife. <br />Unfortunately, the area was heavily grazed by the landowner after it was sampled and <br />could not be used again. <br />REVISED 11 Nov 09 Tab 22 -16 <br />