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Yoast reclaimed lands provide excellent habitat for a number of wildlife species. Elk and mule <br />deer make common use of the reclaimed areas where significant numbers of deer and elk can be <br />observed in the reclaimed areas throughout the year. The reclaimed areas provide beneficial and <br />nutritional forage resources throughout the year but especially in the spring and early summer as <br />the elk and mule deer complete gestation and move to lactation cycles. Elk and mule deer numbers <br />on the mine site during the period of monitoring for these species have shown year to year <br />fluctuations as a result of regional trends, mining activities and climatic conditions. As mining <br />activity moved to new areas and reclamation became established, big game moved back into <br />reclaimed areas and adjacent native habitats. This has been especially true for elk as the <br />herbaceous forage quality is compatible with their foraging preferences. The presence of big game <br />on reclaimed areas is significant and requires 8 foot fencing to protect aspen and tall shrub planting <br />sites. <br />Review of annual monitoring reports shows that mule deer and elk numbers have had a steady <br />increase over the 1994 through 2007 period. This has been in part due to improved survey methods <br />later in the period. In the latter part of the monitoring years elk and mule deer were found <br />increasingly in the established areas of reclamation. In 2006 elk were averaging 2.6 individuals <br />per square mile while mule deer were averaging 1.92 individuals per square mile. Incidental <br />observations by mine personnel and CDRMS inspectors indicate that elk and mule deer are <br />common on reclamation through much of the year. <br />Raptors including red-tailed hawks and golden eagles nest and hunt in the area and other raptors <br />such as northern harriers and Swainson's hawks that prefer more grassland or grass shrubland <br />habitat have been observed in reclaimed areas in past studies and monitoring. The reclaimed areas <br />are trending towards a sagebrush grassland/shrubland habitat and species with an affinity to that <br />habit type are present in these reclaimed areas. Golden eagle nests are located to the northwest of <br />Permit area. Golden eagles have often been observed over the reclaimed areas. The continued <br />presence of these birds and successful breeding activity in the immediate area could in part be <br />contributed by the reclaimed areas which offer good foraging opportunities related to the stature <br />and nature of the herbaceous dominated reclaimed areas and related prey base. <br />SL-8 - 15 <br />