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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 />Cover. Total plant cover on this site averaged 26.60 percent and litter cover averaged 33.47 <br />percent. <br />Shrubs and subshrubs were the dominant plant life form encountered on this site, contributing <br />12.47 percent of the total plant cover and 46.87 percent of the total relative cover found on this <br />area. Annuals and biennials were the second most dominant plant life form, contributing 8.40 <br />percent of the total plant cover and 31.58 percent of the total relative cover found on this area. <br />Native perennial grasses contributed 2.80 percent of the total plant cover and 10.53 percent of <br />the total relative cover found on this area. Perennial forbs contributed 2.73 percent of the total <br />plant cover and 9.52 percent of the total relative cover found on this area. Basin Big Sagebrush <br />was the dominant plant species encountered, contributing 31.58 of the total relative plant cover <br />found on this site. The other dominant plants encountered were: Storksbill, Cheatgrass Brome, <br />Broom Snakeweed and Rubber Rabbitbrush which contributed 13.28, 11.53, 5.26 and 5.26 <br />percent, respectively, of the total relative cover on this area. The locations of the 15 cover <br />sampled in the Sagebrush predisturbance area are shown on Map 2.04.10 -1, Permit Area <br />Vegetation Map. The sample adequacy calculations in Appendix Table 2.04.10 -2, New Horizon <br />North Mine Area - Sample Adequacy Calculations, document that the number of samples <br />required to describe this site at the 90 percent confidence interval was 10.0 transects. <br />Section 2.04.10 Page 12 November 2011 <br />