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• <br />• <br />• <br />herbaceous forage production equaled 23.70 g/1/4 m or 845.0 pounds of air dry -dry forage per <br />acre. Perennial grasses contributed 23.11 g/1 /4 m or 97.47 percent of the herbaceous forage. <br />Perennial forbs, contributed 0.60 g/1/4 m or 2.53 percent of the herbaceous forage production. <br />The locations of the 50 production transects sampled on this site are shown on Map 2.04.10 -1, <br />Permit Area Vegetation Map. The sample adequacy calculations in Appendix Table 2.04.10 -2, <br />New Horizon North Mine Area - Sample Adequacy Calculations, document that the number of <br />samples required to describe this site at the 90 percent confidence interval was 60.4 transects. <br />Shrub Density. The shrub density counts obtained from the 15 belt transects sampled in this <br />area are summarized in Appendix Table 2.04.10 -5, NH1 Reclamation Area - Shrub Density. The <br />average shrub density was determined to equal 5.20 shrubs per one hundred square meters or <br />210.4 shrubs per acre. Fourwing Saltbush, Rubber Rabbitbrush and Smooth Sumac were the only <br />shrubs encountered. <br />The locations of the 15 shrub density transects sampled on the NH1 Reclamation predisturbance <br />area are shown on Map 2.04.10 -1, Permit Area Vegetation Map. Examination of the sample <br />adequacy calculations in Appendix Table 2.04.10 -2, New Horizon North Mine Area - Sample <br />Adequacy Calculations, reveals the number of samples required to describe the shrub density on <br />this area at the 90 percent confidence interval was 307.2 transects. <br />BIG SAGEBRUSH <br />This vegetation type is the second largest plant community type found within the proposed NHN <br />Mine permit area. This area covers an area approximately 65.46 acres in size and accounts for <br />nearly 20.30 percent of the proposed permit area. The largest single area of Big Sagebrush is <br />located to the north of Meehan Draw on the Meehan and Glasier Property. There is also a <br />significant area of this plant community type located on the Garvey Property east of the Second <br />Park Lateral Irrigation Ditch and to the north of the old NH1 reclamation. In nearly all instances, <br />the Big Sagebrush plant community type located within the proposed NHN Mine permit area has <br />been significantly altered by past livestock grazing and winter feeding practices. The large tract <br />of Big Sagebrush on the north side of Meehan Draw and to the south of the Glasier property line <br />has been extensively used as a winter livestock feeding ground as evidenced by the piles of red <br />plastic baling twine that occur throughout this area. Similarly, the existing stands of Big <br />Sagebrush on the Garvey Property and Glasier Property appear to have been altered by <br />prolonged grazing of wintering livestock as evidenced by the relatively low amounts of <br />herbaceous undergrowth found on these sites. The dominant plant species growing on the Big <br />Sagebrush vegetation type is Basin Big Sagebrush, although there are minor amounts of <br />Wyoming Big Sagebrush found in some areas. <br />Plant Cover. The results obtained from the sampling of the 15 plant cover transects on the <br />Sagebrush predisturbance area are presented in Appendix Table 2.04.10 -6, Sagebrush - Plant <br />Section 2.04.10 Page 11 April 2011 <br />