2009-08-25_PERMIT FILE - C1991078

Home Browse Search

2.04.10 VEGETATION INFORMATION • The Baseline Vegetation Report is presented in Exhibit 5. The Vegetation Map, Drawing No. 113 is enclosed in Volume II. The following summary presents a brief description of the plant communities within and adjacent to the proposed permit area. Four plant communities occur within and adjacent to the pro- posed permit area. They are sagebrush rangeland, Juniper-pinyon, grassland, and disturbed grassland. The disturbed grassland community, because of it small size is considered a minor commu- nity. The sagebrush rangeland community type occurs mainly on the flatter, more gently sloping topographic location. This communi- ty has been exposed to much human disturbance through management procedures aimed largely at elimination sagebrush. The sagebrush rangeland community is dominated by big sage- brush and perennial grasses. Big sagebrush and six perennial grasses contributed 44.5% and 44.6% of the relative vegetative cover respectively in the mine area. The native grassland is a result of exposure of the sage- brush community to various management techniques including herbi- cide application. This community is dominated by needle-and- thread which contributes 56.5% of the relative vegetative cover. • The same six perennial grasses that were found in the understory of the sagebrush areas contributed 82% of the vegetative cover. The growing season begins in mid March utilizing moisture from winter snows and late winter rain. The period of optimum growth is from early April to late June. A period of second growth activity may occur in late fall utilizing a second mois- ture peak in September. The growing season for native grasses is about 130 days. Winters in the area are cold and summers very warm. • 2.04-25 July 1991