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' and most rapiors are' common and not necessarily unique to the area. i ~ ~ ~ • ;.' Elk the area .is expected-~to be greatest ~during the winter mohths and in~the spring use in ~ ~ during green-up'oi herbaceous species. ~. Aerial censuring in the wiriter months of 1979 did not ', indicate the presence~of elk on the permit area, but sightirigs~were,comrimon to the east, noith," ~ ~' - and west of ~tFie permit area. More recent aerial flights have confirmed this pattern~Isee.Tab " 111. Browse utilization, measurements indicated high use on only .one transect Ibiowse ~, utilization Transect B-1), but on none of~the transects was utilization excessive. Elk calving is - -likely to occur in area aspen staniis,'particularly in larger aspen stands off the, permit area ~to ~ '. ~ the south.. Elk calving was not observed do the permit area during wildlife investigations. Mule deer are expected to be morecommori on thepermit area throughout the year. However, aerial censuring during the "winter of 1 979 indicated. a lack of mule deer present. on the permit - area, .but :this amounted to only two different observation' periods. More ~ recent aerial ~ ~ ," censuring appears to. confirm that wihter use by mule deer continues~.to be =light. Strip . censusing~during the,'summer months and observations'by Peabody personnel indicate that. ~ ~ , . mule deer are fairly common on the permit area during the spring, summer, and fall.; ~ ~ " ,. Upland game birds werenotcommon on the permit area, with only blue.grousetieing sighted.. • Sharp-tailed grouse and sage grouse were not found"on the site even though their general"..": ~ ~ habitatsare present on the site. - Raptors,on the other hand, are fairly common over the area, withgolden eagles"beingof. most . ,' 'interest. An active~golden~eagle.nest-is present in sandstone bluffs above Hubberson Gulch to ~ ' ' .~ 'the west of the permitarea (see Exhitiit ~11-3, Wildlife Survey, Tab 111: ,As is the case with ' several other activenests near the Seneca II Mine, this nestwill not be disturbedbymining - ' activities. ~ ~ ~ ~ ~' ~ ~ - ~~ Thus, the Seneca 11=W, permit area provides a variety of habitat for many wildlife species- ~ ' common to northwestern Colorado. Studies and observations indicate that .utilization of the• , area by big game and upland"game birds is riot 'at high bevels, but this may be' due in part to the availability 'of .more desirable habitat around the permit area. Big game use appears to be as high during periodsof. herbaceous,.production as in any other time. Exhibit 10-1 illustrates .the. continuum of available -vegetation communities~~and habitat types from the permit area disturbance"boundary fo one-half mile out-from-[his boundary..' , ~ .,. 4