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Local Climate <br /> The climate of the Craig, Colorado area is characteristic of semi-arid steppe regions. Average <br /> annual precipitation for the town of Craig, six miles north of Trapper, is 13.5 inches, of which <br /> over one third is snowfall (averaging 66.5 inches/year). Trapper Mine's average annual <br /> precipitation is 16.7 inches. Mean annual temperature in Craig is 43°F, with recorded extremes <br /> of-45'F and 100'F. Winds predominate from the west, but are locally modified by topographic <br /> features. The growing season for the area in the vicinity of Craig averages 77 frost-free days. <br /> Soil Types, Characteristics and Distribution <br /> Three soil orders are found in the permit area: <br /> 1 . Aridisols <br /> 2. Entisols <br /> 3. Mollisols. <br /> Characteristic of fairly steep, semi-arid regions of northwestern Colorado,they represent soils <br /> grading from recently developed soil bodies with minimum horizon development (Entisols) to <br /> older soils comprising well defined diagnostic horizons (Mollisols). Overall, the soils found in the <br /> permit area are relatively deep and well drained exhibiting effective rooting depth ranges from <br /> two to sixty inches. The deepest soils yielding the greatest rooting depths occur in valleys and on <br /> the leeward sides of ridges. Soil reaction is slightly acid to moderately alkaline over the permit <br /> area with the exception of inclusions of small scattered areas with saline substrata. These small <br /> areas have probably formed in place from weathered sodic shale. <br /> Vegetation Distribution <br /> Vegetation in the area grows largely in response to macro-climatic influences of the region. The <br /> north-facing slopes, having moderate to deep soils characterize a relatively mesic moisture regime <br /> and favorable levels of insolation throughout the year, exhibit well-developed mountain shrub <br /> communities. On colluvial toe slopes, communities dominated by sagebrush and grasses occur. <br /> On the south-facing slopes behind the ridgeline of the Williams Fork Mountains, vegetative <br /> communities are less developed with respect to cover, density, and production due to the less <br /> favorable soils, moisture regime, and increased solar insolation. The trend in these areas is <br /> toward communities dominated by juniper, pinon, mountain mahogany and xerophytes. <br /> Historical farming and ranching within the current permit area modified, to varying degrees, natural <br /> vegetative communities. Much of the land along toe-slopes and valley bottoms was cleared of <br /> native vegetation and is currently used for dry land agriculture. Most of the north-facing slopes in <br /> the area have been historically used for the grazing of sheep and/or cattle. These activities <br /> produced a mosaic of vegetation communities in the permit area comprised of mountain shrub, <br /> sagebrush/grass, and pinon/juniper. <br /> Wildlife <br /> Fauna are diverse in and adjacent to the permit area due to the wide variety of habitat types and <br /> include: Antelope, Mule deer, Elk, Blue grouse, Columbian sharp-tail grouse, and sage grouse. <br /> All are residents or occasional residents of the permit area, as are numerous types of <br /> waterfowl, song birds and raptors. The area provides habitat and migration routes for antelope, <br /> elk and mule deer. Raptors, several species of game birds, and numerous smaller mammals are <br /> 8 <br />