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" ~".", -. 3 '" J: J J Limiting surface disturbance to no more than 2 acres in crucial winter range would limit and control amount of loss of important winter forage. Land treatment projects would improve forb composition of sagebrush communities for pronghorn antelope, and improve forage production and vigor on bighorn sheep range in the Cebolla Creek area. Land treatment projects designed to increase understory vegetation within sage-brush communities would improve nesting cover, provide nest structure, and increase nesting success on 76,752 acres of high production areas. Rehabilitating riparian areas wbere conditions bave deteriorated would result in improved cover and foraging areas for young sage grouse. Improving sage grouse habitat would double existing populations and increase barvest from approximately 500 to 1,000 birds per year. Increasing vegetative structure and cover within riparian and sagebrush habitat types would have a positive effect on non-game by increasing cover, nesting habitat, foraging areas, and species diversity. Impacts from Locatable MInerals Management. Witbdrawing 78,912 acres of federal mineral estate from mineral entry and location would reduce the potential for habitat loss of all wildlife species on these lands. Road construction, surface disturbance, and increased human activity would eliminate habitat, alter use patterns, increase stress and disrupt nesting and breeding seasons of a wide variety of game and non- game species. The impact of mining activities would be greatest where bighorn sheep habitat, crucial elk and deer winter range and sage grouse lek areas occur within lands with a high likelihood for the occurrence of locatable minerals. Impacts from Saleable Minerals Management. Seasonal restrictions on mineral material sales would protect sage grouse strutting areas (1,758 acres) and big game crucial winter range (165,195 acres) from mineral material related disturbance during critical limes of tbe year. ALTERNATIVE D IMPACTS E1iminating mineral material sales on 10,469 acres sage grouse broodrearing babitat would protect these areas from destruction. Impacts from Soli and Water Resources Management. Increasing ground cover in the sagebrush vegetation type would improve hiding and nesting cover for sage grouse and other non-game species. Land treatment projects which result in decreasing sagebrush cover below 25% would eliminate these areas from sage grouse nesting and would decrease sage grouse wintering babitat. Construction of projects designed to decrease soil erosion and improve water quality would improve sage grouse broodrearing habitat, crucial elk and deer winter range and nesting habitat for non-game species. Impacts from Riparian Management. Moving existing watering facilities out of riparian areas would improve these areas for sage grouse brooding and nesting. Moving facilities more than 1/8 mile would result in the greatest amount of improvement. Excluding road construction in riparian areas would prevent the loss of crucial winter range, important sage grouse habitat and reduce disturbance to wildlife from human activity. By improving existing roads and moving other roads out of riparian areas, similar benefits would result. Impacts from Livestock Grazing Management. Development of intensive grazing systems witb emphasis on increasing herbaceous vegetation within sagebrush communities would increase cover for sage grouse nesting habitat, structure for non-game and forage for pronghorn antelope. Limiting total forage utilization to 20-40% on upland areas and maintaining a minimum stubble height of 4 inches in riparian zones would improve cover and forage quality for elk, deer, pronghorn antelope, sage grouse, and non-game species. Prohibiting domestic sheep grazing in Bighorn Sbeep- A and -B and Cebolla Creek ACECs would eliminate interaction on 15,759 acres of bighorn sbeep habitat between these species, and therefore, the potential for 4-45