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Class III Inventory, Colowyo's Collom Mine Project 9 <br />The project area is located between 6,500 ft (1,981 m) and 8,567 ft (2,611 in) in elevation, and the <br />distribution of various floral communities are associated with the changes in elevation, topography, <br />and aspect. The major plant communities identified within the project area include sagebrush <br />communities, riparian communities, and mountain shrub communities. The majority of the project <br />area vegetation is characterized as a sagebrush community consisting of an overstory of big <br />sagebrush and rabbitbrush, with an understory of wheatgrass, needle- and - thread grass, blue grass, <br />wild rye, and prickly pear cactus. This community is generally associated with level to moderately <br />slopping terrain throughout areas of middle and lower elevation within the project area. Areas <br />associated with this community also appear to have been impacted at some point in the past by <br />brushfires that modified the community by removing the sagebrush and increasing the grasses. <br />The second most common vegetation community is the riparian community present along each <br />perennial drainage, along portions of ephemeral creeks, and around springs. They consist of <br />broadleaf cottonwood, willow, shrub oak, and various grasses. In the southern end of the project <br />area where the elevation is the highest, the vegetation community becomes a mountain shrub <br />community that consists of Gambel oak, serviceberry, mountain mahogany, and snowberry. This <br />community can also be found along steep ridge slopes from the central to the southern portions of <br />the project area. A juniper woodland vegetation community is present within a limited portion of <br />the project area. Juniper trees, sagebrush, and various grasses occur in the north- central part of the <br />project area along a high southeast to northwest - trending ridge. <br />Fauna of the region include big game animals such as mule deer, antelope, and elk. Smaller animals <br />include rabbits, squirrels, prairie dogs, porcupines, skunks, greater sage grouse, and mice, among <br />numerous others. Large omnivores and carnivores including black bear, grizzly bear, mountain lion, <br />and wolves were present in the early historic period through the nineteenth century, and black bears <br />and mountain lions are still extant. Smaller carnivores including coyote, fox, bobcat, badger, and <br />weasel thrive within the current project area. Current land use within the inventoried parcels <br />includes sheep and cattle grazing, with some hay cultivation. <br />47599 TRC Mariah Associates Inc. <br />