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<br />10' • <br />confirm the fall use of this type. Elk have been observed in winter <br />near the portals of both the Allen and Maxwell mines. These are clearly <br />adjacent to the ponderosa pine-oak type. <br />Elk aerial trend counts were conducted within the Purgatoire drain- <br /> <br />L <br />age in January from 1971 through 1975 by the Colorado Division of 4lildlife. <br />Elk were located during these counts from Left Hand Fork of Martinez <br />Canyon (about 8 miles south of Segundo), westward approximately 20 miles <br />to the San Francisco Pass region, then north about 15 miles to Whiskey <br />Creek. Most of the elk in these counts were located more than 7 miles <br />from either mine. One exception was a count of 26 (1973), 20 (1974) <br />and 14 (1975) about one mile south of 4leston. The location was about <br />three miles southeast of the Maxwell Mine. The lowest total count was . <br />201 in 1971; the highest was 584 in 1973. The last count of 389 in <br />1975 was about average for the five years; thus no population trend was <br />evident. However, Holder (pers. comm. 1980) believes populations are <br />increasing slowly and the elk are staying longer in the valleys before <br />migrating to summer range. Mule deer populations appear quite stable. <br />Turkey populations may be declining slightly throughout their range in <br />the Purgatoire drainage (Baron, pers. comm. 1980) or stable (Holder, pers. <br />comm. 1980). No census data are available for either species. <br />Among other mammals known to occupy the ponderosa pine-oak type <br />are desert cottontails, Abert's squirrel, and the coyote. Birds with <br />affinities for this type, in addition to turkeys, include blue grouse, <br />band-tailed pigeons and dusky flycatchers. <br />Mining activities and facilities with potential for impact on • <br />