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will not seriously impact wildlife habitat or use in the Seneca II-W permit area. The pattern of <br />disturbance and the potential maximum total reclaimed acreage in the mine area (less than <br />1,200 acres) is not great in relation to the amount of undisturbed habitat remaining in the <br />permit area and surrounding areas (please refer to the following exhibits: Exhibit 10-1, <br />Premining Vegetation, and Exhibits 22-i and 22-1A, Postmining Vegetation Mapl~ The addition <br />of grazing lands li.e., reclaimed areas) in the Seneca II-W area can reduce livestock pressure on <br />native vegetation in the undisturbed adjacent areas, providing additional habitat resources to <br />wildlife. <br />The reclaimed plant communities, dominated by herbaceous species, will greatly enhance the <br />forage diversity of the area habitat for wildlife by providing succulent forages. Succulent <br />forages are high in digestible protein and digestible energy and may remain palatable and <br />nutritious even after they have completed their growing cycle (Cook et al., 19771 Also, animal <br />performance is related to the amount of digestible energy and digestible protein in forages. <br />This is especially true for livestock and big game nearing the end of the gestation cycle <br />Ispringl, and during lactation (spring through early fall). The succulent herbaceous forage in <br />the reclaimed plant communities will provide nutrient levels to meet these increased needs for <br />both livestock and big game. The large numbers of deer and elk present on reclaimed areas at <br />the Seneca Il Mine appear to demonstrate the utility of a herbaceous forage resource to big <br />game. <br />It has been determined that early greening spring grasses contribute significantly to mule deer <br />diets in the Rocky Mountain and Intermountain regions (Willms and McLean, 19781. Yoakum <br />and Dasmann 11971) also reported that pregnant does benefit directly from the availability of <br />green forages during the critical early spring period. If the winter has been severe, the need for <br />succulent and nutritious spring forage is even more critical. Big game select out those forages <br />highest in nutritive quality when available and also those that are greening and succulent <br />(Mereszczak et al., 1981 and Armstrong, 19751. <br />Various studies show mule deer and elk prefer succulent forages other than woody species <br />during various times of the year. Miller et al. (1981) found that big game selected up to 52 <br />percent grasses in their diets during the period of March through June. Forbs accounted for 38 <br />percent. The big game in this study also tended to congregate in areas where palatable forages <br />occurred. The study site was in forested areas with brush understory and clear cut areas <br />seeded with palatable forages. While these opened areas covered only 31 percent of the area, <br />66 percent of the big game diet came from them. They <br />8 Revised 1/99 <br />