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located app*+~v~~tely five miles south (Texas Instruments, 1978). • Sage grouse prefer sagebrush for their year-round habitat (Wallestad, 1975). Succulent forbs are the preferred food of sage grouse broods and, therefore, a critiEa]: eleresit of summer habitat. While.sagebrush vege- tation camuu~ities occur in mall patches throughout the Seneca II study area (see Map 1, Appendix A, Vegetation Baseline Study, Mariah Associates, 1980), sage grouse generally prefer large expanses of sagebrush vegetation. This, plus the absence of sage grouse sightings during the study and the absence of known leks nearby, reduce the potential of the Seneca II study area to be classified as good sage grouse habitat. Sharp-tailed grouse were not observed on or near the Seneca II study area during field activities in 1979. The per-unit population estimate for sharp-tailed cg+ouse populations in the area is 1.01 individuals/sq mi (DOW, 1978). Sharp-tailed grouse have been observed during the winter around the Seneca II spoil piles (personal oca~am~nication, March, 1979, Foy Kara) . Sharp-tailed grouse prefer areas wvered fran 25 to 308 by cooded vegetation (Johnsgarrl, 1973). Heavy ground rover provides opportunities for roosting, nesting, feeding, protection from severe weather and escape cover. Scattered small clearings provide additional nesting and brood-rearing habitat and winter roosting opportunities. Traditional display sites (leks) are critical for successful reproduction of sharp-tailed grouse. No sharp--tailed leks were observed on or near the Seneca II study area in 1979. BIG GAME The Seneca II study area provides year-long habitat for mule deer and elk, the most sought after species of big game in Colorado. The study site is surrounded on three sides (within 10-15 miles) by the Routt National Forest which contains aver one million acxes of wildlife habitat including • some of Colorado's finest elk and mule deer habitat. Black bear and -50- Revised 5-27-81