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~-'r •. <br />~~.;. ,: <br />!.V j . <br />f~;`'-_ <br />Assessment of impact on wildlife and reclamation recommendations. <br />.~ <br />~~ The area is primarily oakbrush- serviceberry shrubland <br />with localized pockets of aspen. The area provides excellent <br />deer and elk winter range as well as good feeding and reproductive <br />cover for the other species listed above. Two species of rare <br />fish are found in the Yampa River downstream of the proposed mine <br />expansion. Because of the anticipated impact on wildlife the <br />following mitigative measures are requested. <br />1. Erosion should be carefully controlled during all phases <br />of development and reclamation to avoid degradation in the <br />Yampa River or its tributaries. <br />2. Improve winter range for elk on bureau of Land Management <br />lands southwest of Sun Coal properties. Hillsides of oak- <br />brush-serviceberry with southerly aspects should be treated <br />- in amounts equal to the areas disturbed by mining activities. <br />~~ This winter range improvement should be coordinated with <br />C~ local BLM personnel so that selected over-aged stands of <br />brush can be manipulated with fire, heavy equipment or <br />chain saws. <br />3. Mined out areas should be re-contoured to have a rolling, <br />undulating, irregular terrain. Spoils piles should not be <br />entirely leveled. A 3:1 slope or steeper is desirable. <br />Ridges mould run across the slope to control erosion and <br />help break up the terrain. <br />4. Mined out areas should be reclaimed with grasses recommend <br />by SCS or BLM and clumps of oakbrush and serviceberry <br />randomly distributed at the rate of no less than one clump per <br />acre disturbed. Shrub clumps must be monitored and any that <br />die must be replaced. <br />5. Upon completion of the reclamation phase, all roads into the <br />;• reclaimed area should also be reclaimedarrlclosed to all <br />motorized vehicular traffic. Further disturbances in the <br />area must he minimal so that wildlife may regain use cf <br />the area. <br />155 - (Rev. 5/86) <br />