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Peabody Sage Creek Mine <br />SL -3 Phase III Bond Release Request <br />July 2014 <br />Estimated forage utilization was 29 %. Note that because of the need for logical management <br />units the PSCM property is grazed in conjunction with the adjacent Seneca II reclaimed lands. <br />The same livestock operator (Camelletti & Sons) has used the PSCM and Seneca II Mine <br />reclaimed lands for grazing during the entire grazing program. The operator considers the <br />reclaimed areas as key management units in his annual livestock operations and a valuable forage <br />source in terms of both quality and quantity. Results of grazing are presented in the Seneca II <br />and PSCM Annual Reclamation Reports for each year since 1988. <br />Wildlife monitoring was conducted annually at the PSCM /Seneca II Mine through 2010. The <br />Seneca II Mine was included in the baseline wildlife survey conducted for PSCM permitting in <br />2008. Since 2010 the general mine area has been included in annual raptor nest monitoring and <br />Columbian Sharp - tailed grouse counts. These results are included in the annual reports <br />submitted to CDRMS. Additionally, CDRMS inspection personnel note wildlife observations in <br />their ongoing inspection activities at the mine. <br />PSCM provides excellent habitat for a number of wildlife species, and in particular, elk and mule <br />deer make common use of the reclaimed areas. Large numbers of deer and elk can be observed <br />in the reclaimed areas throughout the year. The reclaimed areas provide beneficial nutritional <br />forage sources throughout the year but especially in the spring and early summer as the elk and <br />mule deer complete gestation and move to lactation cycles. Raptors including red - tailed hawks <br />and golden eagles nest and hunt in the area and other raptors such as northern harriers and <br />Swainson's hawks that prefer more grassland or grass shrubland habitat have been observed in <br />reclaimed areas in past studies and monitoring. The reclaimed areas are trending towards a <br />sagebrush grassland / shrubland habitat and species with an affinity to that habit type are present <br />in these reclaimed areas. Columbian sharp - tailed grouse (CSTG) have established four active leks <br />on PSCM reclaimed lands and these leks are monitored annually. The 2013 counts for the four <br />leks totaled 66 CSTG with the lowest lek count having 14 CSTG and the highest with 23 CSTG. <br />There is potential for additional CTSG presence due to the large amount of similar and available <br />reclamation habitat on PSCM. <br />23 <br />