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is <br /> P ; , Transit Mix Concrete Co. <br /> PT <br /> primarily consists of Douglas fir as documented in Exhibit J. The proposed planting plan <br /> includes increasing the amount of ponderosa pine, which is preferred by the Merriam's wild <br /> turkey, thus improving habitat. Additionally, turkeys may also roost in Douglas fir. <br /> WHAT IS CONSIDERED PRIME HABITAT <br /> Elk <br /> Elk are one of the most adaptable of North American ungulates and inhabit a wide variety of <br /> habitats (Innes 2011). In Colorado, elk are generally found above 6,000' (Holland et al.2005) <br /> and prefer gentle to moderate slopes (<40%); slopes >60% are used less often (Innes 2011). <br /> They utilize a variety of habitats, which include lodgepole, spruce-fir, Douglas-fir, quaking aspen <br /> and mountain shrub types in conjunction with high mountain alpine meadows and lower <br /> elevation meadows and pastures, depending on the season. Elk require a combination of open <br /> meadows for foraging and woodlands for hiding cover, calving, and thermal regulation (Holland <br /> et al. 2005). <br /> Elk use several different kinds of habitat daily, seasonally and annually because the distribution <br /> and interspersion of plant communities and successional stages is critical (Innes 2011). Innes <br /> documented the distribution and occurrences of elk and reported that "Neither recent <br /> disturbances (<1 year old) nor undisturbed continuous forests support the highest elk density; <br /> early successional stages usually have the best forage, while middle and late successional <br /> stages provide the best shelter'. He further wrote that "...the stage when herbaceous cover has <br /> built up but before trees and shrubs take over is "optimum"for elk. In areas where forest canopy <br /> openings are important elk foraging sites, the early-seral stage of vegetation is very short lived <br /> (10-20 years) and the period of optimum forage production may last only 5 to 10 years. Elk <br /> readily adapt to new habitats following translocation and readily colonize early-seral habitats <br /> after disturbance. For example, they commonly use logged forests ...and burns." <br /> Holland's elk species habitat assessment documents that "Ideal winter range includes north and <br /> northeast slopes consisting of densely wooded lowlands for cover, combined with south and <br /> southwest facing slopes for foraging opportunities. High quality transitional range usually <br /> includes meadows or pasture, aspen groves, and other woodland types that provide high quality <br /> forage enabling elk to gain weight prior to winter. Open water availability is important in <br /> association with the habitat types described." <br /> Holland further documents that elk use high elevation woodlands consisting of spruce-fir, <br /> Douglas-fir, aspen and/or lodgepole pine stands combined with alpine and sub-alpine meadows <br /> during the summer. Elk's transitional ranges include "...lower elevation aspen stands in <br /> conjunction with montane coniferous forests. Winter range includes low elevation aspen, <br /> gamble oak, pinyon, juniper, sagebrush, especially where sagebrush slopes interface with <br /> Hitch Rack Ranch Quarry Permit Application <br /> March 9,2018 E-20 <br />