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Cropland <br />There is a small area (approximately 12 acres) of cropland along <br />the north end of the proposed haul road corridor. In recent years, <br />that area has been culivated for small grain production. <br />Disturbed <br />Areas of disturbance in the Yoast area are limited to roads and <br />dwellings. Only about 12 acres of disturbed habitat were mapped in <br />the area. <br />BIG GAME <br />Elk <br />The entire Yoast Mine permit area and haul road corridor are <br />• <br />within an area mapped as elk (Cervus elaohus) winter range under the <br />Wildlife Resource Information System (WRIS, CDOW 1993). A large • <br />block of land classified as severe winter range, and designated as <br />critical habitat, lies between the Yampa River and the permit area. <br />This range encompasses the extreme north and east portions of the <br />wildife survey area, in Sections 8 (less than 250 acres) and 16 (less <br />than BO acres). The haul road corridor is also within the area desig- <br />nated critical habitat. <br />Observations made during the baseline study bear out the classi- <br />fication of the Yoast survey area as winter habitat. During the 27 <br />January aerial survey, 151 elk were recorded within the 21.4 mil <br />survey area. The animals were in ten groups ranging in size from 1 to <br />48. Sightings are listed in Table 2 and shown on Exhibit 11-1. <br />A11 but sixteen elk (three groups) were in the north part of the <br />survey area, clustered in mountain brush between the highest, steepest • <br />14 <br />