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` . ,;• "- t>f• Allen Whitaker ~: '• :'
<br />.~" 07 December 1981 ''r'{` s ~'' 'S•''`',' ,. ~
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<br />3.e.; ~ 'Page 5. ~ ~ ~7t•.
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<br />°''''~ ''"• s Pages X20- _
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<br />21: 'The Colorado Division of Wildlife `suggests that •'~. ?~ „-~:`+
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<br />~~i~F,;}rt.
<br />t~`s;l'L,L~,-,~., '~ - Kerr Sage Grouse
<br />Kerr Coal Company misrepresents their 1
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<br />~ Winter Distribution Map". The data on which the map is ''
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<br />}~`{<:'yt;~'i;G,;;." ,;•t:... based were collected by employees and graduate students. ;•'" ~;,;~,.?~rz1,•
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<br />'''(' ~ ~ ~ supported by the CDOW. It is CDOW's map and was not ,. ,; '; .,
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<br />generated by Kerr Coal Company. Also, the Kerr Mine :'~4*~••;;.;~ •+~C.¢r
<br />` Sage Grouse Pellet Location Map" is of little value as "`'f:~t;:,:'=k;=?;='
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<br />•,; s; the transects marked cannot be located. No data are pro- '
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<br />r vided so that the reader can evaluate the scientific value
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<br />~'F1";' of the transect data. The sage grouse population ,in North .;
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<br />~ Park expanded in the late 1970's, probably the result of
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<br />programs' ,.«r
<br />sagebrush recovery from the extensive control' 4;
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<br />-"f`~~i'~°?r';-``r''".:`;':;'•' = of the 1960's..'While Beck (1975) provided general infor-'st~'%T++%ra'~1"
<br />,;~,.•..;.. ... ,, ,;c.;, mation on sage grouse winter use sites, T. Schoenberg ;•, ; :_:..~i.i_
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<br />'.'ti ~'~n,'', s4 r-: ~:9:":,:'~1 ~'. •' ~ (1981) was able to demonstrate why sage grouse use ~'~.~:".'~~~ '
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<br />.~`'•:. .:'rl ;.,, -
<br />i'Ed _
<br />ill "'~ti
<br />~" •' s ecific areas and sites.
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<br />jyp,iS',`~y1!~ri,.*~;~,.);s,;;Pages 21- 22. We assume that reference to the 1980 winter actually r,. ' :}~•~;'.
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<br />~'~:'!:4 •'•~iJ
<br />':'•~' is to the winter of 1979-80 and not 1980-81. Winter use '•.
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<br />patterns of sage grouse differed markedly between the 2 ' , Y
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<br />, winters. We find the results of the sae rouse ellet , •.
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<br />• transects interesting. Unfortunately, sage grouse .
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<br />'~I~''~' :' pellet surveys are still in the development phase and ~ `
<br />~•~~'~;~~.• ~ no scientific studies of their reliability and value have
<br />'~' ~~~~ been published to date. This is because the reliability
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<br />of sage grouse pellet surveys is exceedingly poor even
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<br />~!-".' '. when data are available from the same transects for 3 or
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<br />~v more years. Present data indicate that sage grouse
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<br />-- pellet surveya ~c.c :,c -,c:it as presently conducted.'' '
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<br />.;''`;; ~ Furthermore, we find no merit in comparing on a 1-time -. '
<br />,: - basis only, pellets in an area fertilized in 1976 with
<br />^;~~``""'"" number of pellets in a winter use area following a severe
<br />~ ~~ ~;':~ winter. The sage grouse pellet data presented have no " r' ~'' ~`
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<br />~~j ,, ; merit for the reasons described. . ;, ~"r"',•;
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<br />' We find it interesting that Kerr Coal Company con- ~?'+-:"
<br />,,_;';, ~ veniently neglected to mention any of the studies of
<br />'~: "'[:•i.;:'~ fertilization effects on grouse. It is well documented
<br />±''='~r' that grouse are nitrophilic and select for plants high ,,.
<br />'~''"• in nitrogen. The evidence indicates that grouse on high '~,
<br />protein (i. e., nitrogen) diets have better reproductive
<br />' characteristics than those on diets with low nitrogen
<br />' levels. A list of these references was provided to
<br />Kerr Coal Company in 1980.
<br />r.i~l•'r.•=.':~`j;:We agree that the scientific literature on fertilization effects on sage-
<br />_._~,. ,, ,f};.~ybrush and grouse can be interpreted differently. However, the evidence
<br />• ,-strongly indicates that nitrogen fertilizer positively affects the sage-
<br />. '~:'~;;,brush`community and that grouse on nitrogen-rich diets have increased
<br />•, '' '•''reproductive performance., .
<br />CEB/LC/deb
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