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• Destruction of Food Source <br />Past alining activities temporarily reduced the food sources of <br />the wildlife which inhabit the proposed permit area. Once disturbed <br />areas aze reclaimed, the availability of forage on the proposed <br />permit area is anticipated to approximate premining productivity. <br />CYCC bases this expectation on the results obtained to date from <br />sample sites within the proposed permit area. For eaample, total <br />production of sagebrush from undisturbed sample sites within the <br />proposed permit area in 1980 averaged only 856 pounds per acre. In <br />comparison, reclaimed sites within the proposed permit area <br />previously supporting similar vegetation averaged a total of 1,165 <br />pounds per acre for 1980. <br />• <br />Similarly, Berg and Barrau (1973) found that forage production <br />on unleveled revegetated spoil at the CYCC Eckman Park Hine (located <br />approximately 6 miles southwest of the proposed permit area) <br />averaged 1,486 pounds per acre. Sampling eight undisturbed plant <br />communities, Dames and Moore (1975) found that the average forage <br />production on the Eckman Park permit area averaged 1,246 pounds of <br />forage per acre. The meadow site vas the only vegetation type [o <br />eaceed the spoil sites in production, <br />Forage production on a leveled and topaoiled site that was <br />seeded in 1974 at Energy Mine No. 2, which vas released from final <br />• bond by the Division after only four growing seasons, produced 2,212 <br />2.05 - 119 <br />