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H-22 • Pellet group counts and aerial surveys were conducted on the sodium lease area during the winter of 1981. Winter deer densities in the chained pinyon-juniper habitat were calculated to be 67 deer/square mile, 26 deer/square mile in pinyon-juniper woodland, and 13 deer/ square mile in sagebrush (LGL 1981). It should be noted that in 1980 and 1981 the Piceance deer herd was at one of its lowest recorded population levels, and the winter conditions were unusually mild. Higher deer density would be expected in the lease area winter ranges during more severe winters and with deer populations at higher levels. In 1978-79, Colorado Division of Wildlife estimated overall population densities for local winter ranges to be 54 deer/square mile and for the severe winter rang°, 80 deer/square mile. The results of the browse species preference test indicates that deer prefer antelope bitterbrush on the lease area during the fall and the early winter month:> before the snow cover becomes too great (LGL 1981). • After this time, the deer seem to prefer (in order of preference) sagebrush, pinyon, and juniper, all of which become the predominant browse species. Feral Horses Wild horses have been reported in the Piceance Basin since the 1880's when the first settlers arrived in the Meeker area (BLM 1984b). In the northwestern portion of the Basin -- within the White River Resource Planning Area -- the wild horse range encompasses about 249,183 acres. The Piceance Basin feral horse herd was initially estimated in 1975 to be about 143 head. The 1983 population was estimated to be about 274 head. These horses are distributed within ten livestock allotments within the planning area. Several factors influence feral horse migration within their range in the Piceance Basin. First, fences greatly influence the movement of these horses betweE~n allotments; they generally move between allotments THIS DOCUMENT CON TAINS TRADE SECRETS AND PRI VILEGE D, CONFIDENTIAL AND PROPRIETARY COMMERCIAL, FINANCIAL, GEOLOGICAL AND GEOPHYSICAL DATA AND;- . I,i , INFORMATION. PUF;SUANT TO LAW,THOSE PO RTIONS MARKED"CONFIDENTIAL" ~'d~ll~(y l; ~J+ MAY NOT BE DISCLOSED, COPIED OR MADE AY AILABLE FO0. PUBLIC INSPECTION.