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Kent A. Gorham Page Two February 1, 1993 ELK The general statement regarding CYCC's elk study (see 1980 through 1987 reports) showing a lack of use of reclamation and selection of aspen by elk indicates a somewhat incomplete review of the study results. As pointed out by the Division, aspen (54% of all summer relocations) is selected by elk, but only during summer (May-Oct.}. Table 20, 1985 Report; Table 14, 1986 Report; Table 10, 1987 Report; also show that elk select against aspen (3% of all relocations) during the winter (Dec.-April). With regard to reclamation, the above tables do show that the amount of reclamation use is small during summer and is confined predominately to edges during this period. However, they also show that reclamation is selected for during the spring (Mar.-April) and fall (Oct.-Dec.). Similar open habitats, i.e, cultivated and crop reserve program (CRP) lands with abundant grass or grass like forage are also selected for during the fall. When reclamation and cultivated lands are combined they represent 54% of all relocations during November and December and 26% during October and January. Review of the elk location data will show that elk are often one or two miles from vegetative cover (i.e, mountain shrub) during this period. It should be kept in mind during review of maps contained in the elk study that it is the relative proportion of locations within a particular habitat and t'me period that is indicative of use of that habitat type. A casual glance would lead one to erroneously believe aspen was the overriding habitat of choice only because the main portion of study effort was spent during summer when aspen is selected for. This results in a disproportionate number of relocations associated with this time period. Although total number of elk observed during aerial surveys were not reported in the elk study reports, from 100 to 600 elk were often counted in center areas of the reclamation following the major hunting seasons. Recent personal observations and discussions with local (Craig} CDOW personnel indicate there is more elk use on the reclamation of the Craig area mines than there were on premine habitats and that CRP grasslands are being heavily used by elk. Thousands of elk often spend a major portion of the fall and winter on these open habitats far from vegetative cover. CDOW personnel attributed this in part to the quality of the forage. Lyon (1980), literature provided by the Division via CDOW, states "there are also numerous observations of elk using very large open parks and hillsides..." and "The area of an opening provides only one measure of a basic requirement for adequate security in elk habitat. Size of opening, in fact, may be less important than some other considerations - particularly for elk herds that normally spend at least part of the year on ranges with large natural openings." The only reason elk do not spend more of the winter on reclamation in the CYCC study area is because the