2021-01-14_PERMIT FILE - C1981019A (3)

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RULE 2 PERMITS occurs. Depending on snow depth, elk and deer populations tend to concentrate on south facing hill slope areas where snow depth is minimal. Colowyo began fencing the boundaries of the Federal lease during the fall of 1976. The fencing was completed during the summer of 1977. At this time all cattle were removed from the lease area. The fencing was completed as part of an overall grazing management program to improve the rangeland after several years of over-grazing. In 1991, Colowyo constructed a similar fence to provide a boundary for the areas added to the Permit and to exclude grazing in this area. Disturbed Areas Disturbed acreage has been kept to a minimum in the permit area by proper planning for the location of mine support facilities, haul roads, and pit advance. The mining methods, as discussed in Section 2.05.3, allow for a minimum amount of disturbance on an annual basis (less than 100 acres per pit), when compared to strictly one or two seam mines with similar production levels which disturb several hundred acres annually per pit. Topsoil and vegetation are removed during the summer and fall months to allow for only enough disturbance to facilitate mining advance through June of the following year. Habitat Improvement Program Prior to start-up of mining, Colowyo initiated a big game habitat improvement program in January 1976. The purpose of this on-going program was to increase range carrying capacity by increasing available browse and increased access to herbaceous species. Another objective of the program was to provide increased forage on selected undisturbed areas on and adjacent to the mine site to draw wildlife away from newly reclaimed areas until the vegetation became established. A third benefit was to improve enough habitat prior to and during mining in order to offset the temporary loss of habitat from mining. The technique for habitat improvement involved using a rubber tired or tracked dozer during the winter months,preferably when there was minimal snow cover and the ground was frozen,to shear off the dormant shrubs a few inches above ground level. The shrubs tended to shear or break off easily when the ground was frozen leaving the root systems undisturbed. During the following spring, vigorous new growth from root sprouting occurred, and easy access was provided for deer and elk. This technique has had the additional effect of allowing grasses and forbs to establish stands that will compete with the shrubs, thus prolonging heights useable by wildlife. Approximately 30 acres of overmature decadent shrubs, i.e., serviceberry, oak, and chokecherry was "brushed" on an annual basis through 1986. Although no specific data has been collected on these areas, general observations have shown that the areas are heavily utilized by both deer and elk. On all of the areas, any new shrub sprouting is kept down to a height of only a few inches. The one-acre plot that was cleared of vegetation and fenced in 1977 for testing by the Meeker Environmental Plant Center can be used as a good comparison of the differences between browsed and unbrowsed areas that have had similar treatments. Several of the unbrowsed shrubs that have grown up from root sprouting in the Plant Rule 2 Permits 2.05-31 Revision Date: 10/27/20 Revision No.: TR-143