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many bred and repute spectcs. M11any o1 the annual ti,rhs. such a suntlo\ver, also pruvtde a seeJ suuree ti7r hrrds and <br />small mammal.. <br />It is hkrly that prior to am• munng artivtty, the mining site provided less hcnclit to \etldhlc than tt currently drxs. <br />Beli,re the Jackson's began removing rcx:k. the site aas probably dominated b} hulTalu grans (LJtrrhloc• rlurtrlnule+), <br />blur gr:unma. (L3nurcGnr~r L~nrrtli+l. hnn,n,cd snakeweed. and wte-sccd Jum{xn 1.lurrq,cntc nnnr„\pe,rna). \Vhdr these <br />plant specie. arc utilind by vildlitc. it's likely that the historic lack of plant diversity resulted in only 1•air quality' <br />wddhfc habttat. I he blue gramma and buffalo grass was most txaelictal as cattle luragr. <br />It appears that several Jumpers w tll ix rentuveJ during. nunmg. As tar as \vtldhtc arc conccmrd, that \\ I II prUMahly I+e <br />more oCa pustuvr unpact than a ncgauvc one. Pim•ons andpmipcn arc currently cspandmgthen range m eastern I.a, <br />Anunas Cuunh•, As the Jumpers encroach upon grasslands and shntblund., \vildlitc habitat and pastureland can ix• <br />ncgaUvely aCl'erled. <br />It is hkcly that the greatest negative unl+act o(Ihr t'anyon Rtttt titottr M1Lne will he the Ions of shnths. both <br />skunkhrush IKhos l+'riohatrr) and tnc cholla 1OL~urfur nrthnrrrr,rl are tinmd on the site, tikunkhnt,h :md tree cholla <br />arc both heavily uulncd by many wddhfc spectcs. l'nr cholla provulrs csecllrnt co\cr ti+r.mall mammah. <br />reptiles, and hrrds. Skunkbrush pn,etJrs both tixxl :mil ewer R,r small manuuals. hrrds, reputes, and large <br />mammals. Urer. scaled quad, turkey, and many other species caber cat skunkhrnsh hemrs, or cat the leaves and <br />uewdy veertauun from skunkbmsh. 'the tmpact to wddhfc from shrvh loss can hr gnarly munmvrd it the <br />reclamahun includes replanting the two shrub spectcs. <br />I ltc mine's impacts h, vildlitc arc likely to },e minimal. 'the mine's surlacr acreage is small A relatively small <br />amount nC habitat wall he lost ut the constnirtion of the minx. A fair numlxr of shrubs may he lost, bw some of those <br />shrubs might be salvaged through transplanting. <br />the gtra;cst Impacts to w ddhfr may be tiom the increase in human acuctn. the area w ill,fias scen mrrcaxcd vaMclc <br />tral l is -I'he notsc and .hsturhance from vchtclrs, heavy machnury, and people ntay cause some species of \\ ddhlc to <br />avoid the area 1 his will be espectully true. Juan{; the Jay. <br />~\'hcn the mmmg achcny is mntplrted, there is the potential to rnakr the site's \cilJlilc habitat better than it was prior to <br />mining. Thts \\tll Fx deprnd;mt un \\hat reclamation octinns take place. <br />If the full mtcnuon of the nrlamation t> a»imply pen the sac into pastureland. then the mmmg pit should lx lxtckfilhd <br />rind sloped to it's original dope. Grass miles as recommended M the \KCti should he useJ to rrestahli>h nati\r grass <br />stands, the site should not hr grazrJ tin at bast one grmvmg season to help the gtussxs get estahlishrd. lhts nary have <br />to he dune by trmporanly timnng olT the reclamatum stte. <br />hhr Jackson'. in.licated that they had s;anc ir.!c•re~t in building a permanent cntOr eticlosurc arounJ fire site in order to <br />manage the sac specilirally Coe wilJhfc. Hy keeping cattle aft oC the sac. tt \voulJ he much easier to restore and <br />unprove the wddhfc habitat. shntbs espccialh• have a hard nine grtung estahbshed m the presence of cattle. I'he sac <br />should he flash geared every fe\v years, hovvrvcr. M11am• plant spectcs arc dependant on penahr disturh:mcr. <br />lire site's scaled quail. deer, and reptile hahiwt yualin cuu1J he improved through the reclamation. Ifthr mmmg <br />process results m the tixmatu,n of any small hlufls. it's suggested that the mine's ~nqh tacmJ; and cost lacing hlutl's not <br />be entirely hacktilled.:~ height of tics ro ten Icrt uI c~poscJ hlutTcould Ix leti. Thts well l,nn idr scales{ quad \vnh a <br />place to:rvaid :t\ inn prcJators, be protected from the winter's north and west w Inds, and find .bade in the heat ol'the <br />day. Uccr may also benefit from the hlutTs and use them to get out of the elements. l he bluffs also act as natural <br />\vindtences th:u pile snow upon the doanwntd stJr. Thc additional mow a.1ds necessary motsturc to the sod. gn trig <br />shrub spectcs such as skunkhrush a better place to ~tro\c. If prarticah the hlut7s +huuld br sloped hehveen dtl°-G(t°. <br />this will make it easier for quint to escape over the blurt if threatened by predator, below, <br />l'he greatest habitat loss in the construction of the mine was the loss o(skunkhntsh and cholla. I l skunkhrush can he <br />attained, a would he txnelictal if tt were planted throughout the sac. II would hr especially hrneticial to plant <br />skunkbntah at the base :utd tap of the bluffs. Thu will pan ale quad with csecllrnt cover in prcfrrted roosting <br />