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} 'I~'ll1ll'll"""`' United States Department of Agriculture Forest Intermountain Service Research Station Shrub Sciences Lab. 735 North 500 East Provo, Utah 89606 Mr. Forrest Luke Trap Mining Inc. P 0 Box 187 Craig, CO 81626 Dear Forrest: January 17, 1996 I have included 16 reprints concerning the usefulness of big sagebrush as a food for wildlife. Also, several articles talk about the importance of big sagebrush as cover and as a plant providing nesting platforms for a number of birds. The articles_span over several authors and years. I have placed a number in a circle in the upper right-hand corner of each reprint and will comment on some of them. 1. Restoring big-game range in Utah (1968) recommends planting between 1/9 to ~i pound of big sagebrush seed per acre. At 1,500,000 to 2,000,000 seeds per pound, a 1/4 pound per acre seeding rate would equal about nine to 11 seeds per square foot. Pages 89-86 gives a general description of the species and it's importance to wildlife. 2. This one is a manuscript (1996) that I have sent to Conservation Biology for publishing. Here, I challenge the notion that big sagebrush is a range plant of low value 3. A published report (1993) similar to number 2. 9. An early work (1951) that shows the value of big sagebrush as a forage plant for a number of wildlife species. It also compares big sagebrush to choke cherry as elk food. 5, 6, 7, 10. A series of reports (1990, 1991, 1992) Showing the importance of big sagebrush for a number of song birds. 8. A general discussion (1985) of the importance of big sagebrush for sage grouse. Kill big sagebrush, kill sage grouse. 9. Another article (1996) on the relationship of sage grouse and big sagebrush. 11. Black-tailed jackrabbits also eat some big sagebrush as well as living in the sagebrush ecosystem. 12. This report (1978) shows the dependance of pygmy rabbit on big sagebrush--much like sage grouse.