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Aside from the edaphic and topographic limitations; residential, <br />industrial, or commercial development appear unlikely due to the <br />remoteness of the proposed permit area from the population centers of <br />the county. Historic population trends in the Twentymile Park Area <br />reflect a centralization of population in the towns of Hayden, <br />Steamboat Springs and Oak Creek (see Northwest Colorado Coa] <br />Environmental Statement, Regional Analysis, page II-93). <br />Increased recreational opportunities are possible for the Twentymile <br />Park Area, particularly involving the hunting of deer and elk. <br />Opportunities for improved wildlife habitat within and adjacent to the <br />permit area following reclamation are feasible, as indicated in the <br />discussion under Rule 2.05.6(2). However, the checkerboard pattern of <br />land ownership in the area tends to diminish the effectiveness of <br />measures employed to improve wildlife habitat. Improvement of the <br />fisheries potential of the proposed permit area is doubtful, due to <br />the low stream flows during the summer. <br />• The most viable enhancement of land use on the area prior to mining <br />from a economic standpoint was conversion from brush to grassland of <br />some minor acreages of pastureland. Conversion of pastureland to <br />cropland' would also have been feasible on a small proportion of the <br />area before disturbance. However, such changes are unlikely since <br />current trends on lands adjacent to the proposed permit area are for <br />cropland to revert to pastureland. Furthermore, lands in the mine <br />plan area lack a dependable supply of water for either storage or <br />irrigation. <br />Premining Productivity <br />According to the Range Site Descriptions prepared by the USDA -Soil <br />Conservation Service for the proposed permit and adjacent area, annual <br />forage production in pounds of air dry forage per acre during normal <br />precipitation years averages 1,550 lbs/A. Depending on the site, <br />production ranges from 300 to 4,000 pounds per acre. Animal carrying <br /> <br />2.04-7 <br />