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• as a temporary barrier between the fawning areas and Trout Creek, the nearest <br /> water source. For the highly mobile does, this should present no problem but <br /> the fawns may have more difficulty. The deer, like those in the Center Ridge <br /> area, will probably adapt to the presence of the pits and reclamation <br /> activities. Additionally, as discussed in Section 2.7.2.2, deer numbers are <br /> low, have always been low, and are not expected to increase in the area of the <br /> Edna Mine. As a result, considerable spring through fall habitat will always <br /> be available for these deer that do use the area. Hence, the combination of <br /> low deer numbers and more than adequate range to support what deer might be <br /> displaced results in a self-mitigating situation. The blue grouse breeding <br /> ground will be mined during the last years of mining on the Moffat Area. The <br /> loss of this area is not expected to significantly change the overall <br /> abundance of this species in the general area of the mine since the birds <br /> strut on all suitable locations (Section 2.7.2) and prefer the mountain shrub <br /> habitat for their broods. <br /> There are elk calving areas within the permit area {Exhibit 2.7-1) but <br /> these areas will not be mined. Since the elk have adapted to mining as <br /> demonstrated by their continued presence during the mining of West Ridge. <br /> Neither deer nor elk were found to use the permit area in the winter and no <br /> migration routes cross the permit area. <br />• A Columbian sharp-tailed grouse lek is near the permit area (Exhibit <br />2.7-1). Since the area will not be mined, the strutting ground will only be <br /> affected by the activity and noise from nearby mining. Since the peak of <br /> strutting occurs near daybreak, most activity will normally have ceased by the <br /> time drilling, blasting and hauling activities begin during the first daily <br /> mining shift. If mining does disturb strutting, it is noted in Section <br /> 2.7.2.1 that these birds are highly mobile and the lek that could be affected <br /> by mining already has the lowest attendance of the leks observed during the <br /> baseline study. <br /> No pesticides are to be used so no acute or chronic poisoning of fish or <br /> wildlife will occur. Further, water held in the sediment ponds will not <br /> contain any toxic constituents so access to these ponds need not be <br /> restricted. <br /> <br /> <br />Mid-term '94 4.7-2 September 15, 1994 <br />