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<br />. <br /> <br />!l\(PACTS AND POSSIBLE CONFLICTS <br /> <br />!\Iineral Resources: ?vlineral rights in the area have been \\ithdravm (USDA 1993). <br /> <br />Gn.zinl!: Cattle graze on the adjacent mesa tops and enter the dr:1inage on the east side. This is incom~atible <br />with R..:.'iA status. Tne area sn(,)wJ be fenceU utI to prevent colltle invading the area. <br /> <br />Timber. [Check timber sal~ for the area] <br /> <br />Consideration of any proposals to C'.J.t timber within the potential &.'iA should be planned \"1th the site"s <br />sigmfic:ll1t biodiversity elements considered. Any act";t,. that could .iter the outstanding condition of Dead <br />Horse Creek ecosystem should be delayed until after 3 deCIsion about R.'iA designations is made. <br /> <br />Watershed: ILl-JA designation would protect most \JI;1tersheti values. It would also t'tacilitate the acquisition <br />of an in.stream flow claun \'ltal for the preservation of its umque ripanan plant assemblages and recreanonal <br />\cUue. <br /> <br />EVALUATION <br /> <br />Criteria of quaiity. conditlcn. viability. and defensibility were developed by the Rocky )..{ountain Region to <br />assess how weil a potennai R.,'\iA meets ~JA gualific:ZLnon ~.~drews 1993), These cnteria are based on those <br />de\'eiuped by the Cuiorac.iu ~atur.:ll H.entage Pro~ to evaluate occurrences of individual dements ami <br />commul1.lties. <br /> <br />Qualit\. is based on how \\'eiI a SHe recresents the ~3.r2eted ecos\,stem Ot orotectec. biociiyersit\! <br />. . -.. . <br />elements. <br /> <br />Condition reiers to the naturainess of the sit:e :md the degree to which it has been degraded or <br />altered from presen:lement conditions. <br /> <br />. <br /> <br />Viability is the prospect :'or ~cng-term surYl'v-al of ,he ecosystem md its protectea elements. <br /> <br />Defensibility :s :......e e~"'te!lt to which the Slte C:ln ~e ?rotected from extrinsic anthropogenic factors. <br /> <br />The Deod Horse Creek potential ?.):.-\ has been evalu:ltec. according to these criteria as feilews: <br /> <br />Quality: <br />The De'.Jd Hunte Creek pot~ntiai ::L~A contains huzh uuaiit\' !1:'OresentaUon of the common :nosaic of amen. <br />spruce-fir. Douglas flr. ~ountaln sr.r'..lo, and rne:Jd~w ~o~uni~ies. although the small stze of the area ~akes it <br />less \'aluable as an example of these communitIes !hart ot."':.er larger areas could provide. 1.1ore importantly is <br />the unIque geology and hydrology of ~he lower canyor'! areas of the East and ':V"est Forks \vhich supports <br />several highly ranked npanan plant JSsociations. These inciude Picea pllngens/Comus sencea (G:S2), <br />Camus sencea (,G3St:). Populus rremuloides/Acer glabnlm (G:'S:51), Populus tremuloldestonicera <br />im'olucrafo (G3S3t and an unclescnced community :.ype dommated by .-iqlliiegJQ bameb), and Aster <br />foliac~tts whIch occurs on limestone solution deposits. <br /> <br />Designating this as an ~'JA would meet objectIves of (1 ) protecting ele:nents of biodiversIty. (2) SCIVing as a <br />reference area for the study of suc:::eSSton and long.tetm ecological changes. and (3) prO\1.ding :1 site faT' non- <br />manipulati\'e sClentific research. TIus are:!. wouid not be suitable as a control area for comparing results of <br />manipulative research and resource :nanage:nent in or.i-ter areas with sinuiar ecosystem types because other <br />limestone canyon:lI'eas de not possess the uruque hydrology and geology of Dead Horse Creek. <br /> <br />The presence of severai sensiti\'e plant and animal species, :ne intact nparian zone with rare pi:~..:: <br />a.sSuclutlOns, anu the '.l1114Ue !feulogic:11 features suppvrt a high y,uality rating. <br /> <br />e <br /> <br />21 <br />