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White River herd is in the Flat Tops Primitive Area, where most of the herd's elk concentrate. In winter the > elk move off plateaus to lower altitudes, mostly to the r west down the White River, but about 10 percent of the herd (2,000) migrate northward into the Williams Fork -~ Mountains. It is this portion of the elk herd, moving - in groups of 100 - 200 individuals, that use the study site, chiefly for grazing and cover. The number of elk _ wintering in the Williams Fork Mountains has been increasing r, in recent years, partly due to an overall increase in the White River herd but also due to decrease of suitable ~;,: winter range elsewhere. Elk move back and forth along the east-west axis of the Williams Fork Mountains from ~'-• ~ mid-December to early April. Mast elk follow the retreating ip snow line back into the Flat Tops Primitive Area in the T spring; but a wall number, approximately 80 to I00, spend n. the summer in the Williams Fork Mountains. Elk wintering ' in the Williams Fork Mountains range as far north as the L Yampa River. .However, most of the Yampa River Valley has , been plowed and is unsuitable for elk forage. Movements r : of elk are usually concentrated along the Hayden Divide, v~ ~= t; north of the study site, or along the broken cliff areas in Hayden Gulch west of the site as well as south o; the site along south facing cliffs. Although t.'Ze study site area is heavily used by elk during winter, it is not con- sidered by CDOW to be critical winter range. However, Figure H-5 illustrates the relationship of the mine site to nearby critical winter range. Aspen on the site are heavily scarred by browsing elk and elk pellets are abundant. In addition, a high percentage of browse ~%` plants in the oak and sagebrush communities show signs ~ o£ grazing activity. The proximity of County Road 54 to the study site also increases the elk utilization of the site. During heavy snows, elk use the plowed road for traveling and even as a beading ground. Mule deer are abundant in the Williams Fork :2untains x I (see Figure S-6). Most of the mule deer in the region ~ summer in the Williams Fork Mountains and winter to the _ west in the Piceance Basin. Migrations, which are timed T with increasing snow depth, follow the Williams Fork ~_ River. However, up to 25 percent of the herd will not migrate even in winters with deep sncw. The herd normally returns to the Williams Fork Mountains in early April. In recent years, fewer deer have been migrating out o£ - the Williams Fork Mountains in winter due to increased ~ human activity on their winter range. The sizeable number of deer (as~many as 2,000) which winter in the general j - area of the study site has res:Ylted in ~ sharp increase ~ in winter mortalities. In severe winters the camolete ~ previous year's fawn crap has been lost in the non-migrating portion of the herd. As a result, the area's winter