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three and alkali sacaton only occurred adjacent to a drainage which receives <br />supplemental moisture. Seasonal variety is related to quality of forage and availability <br />of forage throughout the growing season. Review of Seed Mix #1 shows that eight <br />grasses of varying palatability and nutrient qualities are to be established with one legume <br />(alfalfa), one forb(small burnet), one subshrub (winterfat), and one shrub (fourwing <br />saltbush). The last four species were included in the mix for their palatability, nutrient <br />qualities, and enhancement of the overall forage quality in a stand with grasses. Both <br />alfalfa and fourwing saltbush are warm season species. In addition, one warm season <br />grass, sand dropseed, has been included in Seed Mix #1, as has alkali sacaton in Seed <br />Mix #2. <br />Local land use and grazing patterns in the Nucla area result in livestock utilization of <br />lower elevation areas (i.e. the Nucla area) during the Fall, Winter, and early Spring. <br />Livestock are moved to BLM and Forest Service allotments beginning in the Spring and <br />extending through the Summer and early Fall. The pattern is to graze progressively <br />higher elevations as the grazing season extends through the Summer. Thus, grazing <br />does not generally occur (there may be some small operator exceptions) in the Nucla <br />area during the summer, resulting in a low requirement for the warm season grass <br />component in overall forage composition and utilization. The cool season grass <br />component can provide early Spring green -up, Fall regrowth, and standing "hay" forage <br />in the Winter. Thus, the reduction in seasonal variety will be mitigated by the type of <br />established vegetation from the seed mix, local grazing patterns and the seasons grazed <br />in the Nucla area. <br />10.5 Woody Plant Density <br />There is no change to this section from the 1998 revision. As described earlier, a large <br />proportion of the existing permit area has been disturbed either by agricultural or mining <br />activities prior to implementation of the permanent regulatory program. In addition, the <br />proposed postmining land use is dryland pasture or rangeland. While one subshrub <br />(winterfat) and one shrub (fourwing saltbush) are included in the rangeland seed mix to <br />mitigate the loss of premining woody plant densities, achievement of premining densities <br />found in the upland sagebrush affected or reference areas is not practical or desirable <br />for the postmining land uses. Furthermore, the reclaimed topography is generally a south <br />or west facing aspect which provides poor sites for the planting of shrub seedlings. The <br />very dry climate of the area further compounds the problem. The establishment of <br />fourwing saltbush and winterfat from seed in the mix and the invasion of rubber <br />rabbitbrush (Chrysothamnus nauseosus) and big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) from <br />surrounding areas will further enhance overall woody plant densities. Finally, the <br />availability of native stands adjacent to the south and eastern portions of the permit area <br />that contain high densities of shrubs provide significant habitat and will further mitigate <br />for lower densities on the mine permit area. <br />For the reasons stated above, no woody plant density standards are included for any of <br />the NH1 reclaimed areas. <br />REVISED 11 Nov 09 Tab 22 -23 <br />