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Matthews of the CDMG and Jim Irvine and was deemed more appropriate for evaluating the <br />reclaimed dryland pasture than the existing sagebrush reference area <br />The new site became known as the 1999 Reference Area, which was located on a site west of <br />the Nucla- Naturita Airport (see Attachment 2.04.10 -1 Location of Reference Areas). The site <br />was selected as a replacement for several reasons. First, the land is owned by the Bureau of <br />Land Management (BLM). The BLM was willing for WFC to establish a 3 acre dryland pasture <br />reference area adjacent to their existing dryland pasture reference area in exchange for <br />sharing data on the site. WFC agreed to share whatever data they collected with the BLM. <br />Secondly, the selected site was on a mesa top similar to the New Horizon II permit expansion <br />study area. Most of the mesa had been chained, plowed, disked and seeded to crested <br />wheatgrass (Agropyron cristatum) approximately 25 years ago. The crested wheat was well <br />established and has recieved only light to moderate grazing pressure according to the BLM <br />and the permitee (Zene Wiemer). The site also is at approximately the same elevation and <br />receives the same precipitation as the study area. For the 1999 study period, the BLM <br />reference plot was sampled for cover, production and woody stem density. The BLM agreed to <br />allow 10 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 to <br />those found in soil map unit 98C. In 1999, no cattle grazing had occurred according to BLM <br />and the Permittee. All grazing up to the time of sampling was by wildlife. <br />Total vegetation cover (first hit) for the type averaged 24 percent, with bare ground at 51 <br />percent, litter at 21.6 percent, and rock fragments at 3.4 percent (Table 2.04.10 -30). Lichen <br />and moss accounted for 0.1 percent of the mean cover. The perennial grass component <br />dominated with 23.2 percent cover and the annual grass component at 0.2 percent cover. <br />Shrubs had 0.6 percent cover. Consistent with the type designation, crested wheatgrass <br />( Agropyron Cristatum had the highest perennial species cover at 22.8 percent (96 percent <br />frequency). The remaining species generally contributed less than one half percent cover to <br />the mean total vegetative cover. <br />Herbaceous production totaled 50.03 g /m2 or 447 pounds /acre with shrubs and 47.77 g /m2 or <br />436 pounds /acre without shrubs (Table 2.04.10 -31). The perennial grass component <br />contributed the highest value at 47.5 g/m (424 pounds /acre) followed by perennial shrubs at <br />1.3 g /m (11.2 pounds /acre). The contribution of annual grasses and perennial forbs was (1.1 <br />Revised September 2010 (PR 06) 2.04.10 -89 <br />