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D. Vegetation and Wildlife
<br />Vegetation
<br />Pinyon-juniper and ayricultural veyetation are the primary veyetation types
<br />which occur within the transportation corridor (see Drawing qll), The cor-
<br />ridor traverses only a small portion of the agriculture veyetation type on
<br />the southeastern end of the corridor. These ayricultural lands are general-
<br />ly associated with the North Fork AVF discussed previously and consist of
<br />irrigated pastures and orchards.
<br />The pinyon-juniper type is characterized by widely scattered pinyon and
<br />juniper trees with a sometimes thick understory of serviceberry, Gambel oak,
<br />snowberry, skunkbush, and syuaw apple. Big sagebrush, bitterbrush, and Mor-
<br />mon tea are scattered in the understory of drier sites (U.S.D,O.i „ BLM,
<br />1977). The herbaceous understory consists of cheat grass, western wheat-
<br />grass, Fendler bluegrass, and forties such as bedstraw and lambstonyue groun-
<br />sel, A few large barren areas occur on near ridge tops and are largely bare
<br />ground (U.S.D,O.I „ BLM, 1977).
<br />Wildlife
<br />The lands of the transportation corridor contain critical winter range for
<br />mule deer and elk (U. S. D. O.I., BLM, 1977) (see Drawing q12), This pinyon-
<br />juniper habitat type is primarily utilized by deer and is suitable habitat
<br />for coyote, porcupine, mountain cottontail, rock squirrel, and badger, Com-
<br />mon bird species are golden eagle, magpie, scrubjay, red-shafted flicker,
<br />and tree swallow (U.S.D.O.I„ BLM, 1977).
<br />• In past years, elk utilization of this habitat type was infrequent. Elk
<br />generally stayed at higher elevations (U,S,D.O,I., BLM, 1977). Deer
<br />utilized the area more heavily during the winter months and moved to higher
<br />elevations in the summer, Though big game pellet counts and aerial deer
<br />surveys conducted by CWI and the Colorado Division of Wildlife, respective-
<br />ly, have not shown actual increases in animal densities in the area of the
<br />corridor, recent harsh winters seem to have caused some animals to move to
<br />lower elevations (Ferguson, Bureau of Land Management, personal communica-
<br />tion, 1984).
<br />The fencing of orchards and private farmland, as well as the construction of
<br />new homes and businesses, has caused a reduction in available big game win-
<br />ter ranye (U,S.D.O,I„ BLM, 1983). Fences to exclude wildlife from orchards
<br />have been constructed around the O'Bannon and CWI orchards, east and west of
<br />State Highway 133 (see Drawing q16), A security fence around CWI's silo and
<br />train loadout facilities also blocks miyration through this area,
<br />The harsh winters and the loss of native ranye has resulted in heavy game
<br />dainaye to orchards and hay stacks (Craig, Colorado Division of Wildlife,
<br />personal communication, 1984). Recent winter feeding programs were estab-
<br />lished not because of animal starvation, but to coax the herds away from the
<br />orchards and other agricultural lands (Craig, Colorado Division of Wildlife,
<br />personal communication, 1984).
<br />As shown on Drawing q12, deer and elk miyration through the corridor is in a
<br />north and south direction, usually along drainages or below ridges, Animal
<br />movenent through tiie lower portion of the corridor is directed by fencelines
<br />and other man-made barriers (Craig, Colorado Division of Wildlife, personal
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