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WILDLIFE (changed) <br />not be conducted in the area where the better habitats occur and are not occupying land that CDOW <br />has leased. <br />As far as the future is concerned, the mining might actually result in some enhancement of <br />the wildlife habitat on Table Mountain. The reclamation plan for this operation will focus on <br />establishing primarily grass dominated vegetation on the top of the mountain. This will alter the <br />habitat characteristics to being more favorable for wildlife on the top of the mountain. Of course <br />the problem with high exposure to wind and the lack of water will not be altered by the mining and <br />reclamation, but the opening of the forests and increase in grass forage could result in an eventual <br />increase in certain species. That beneficial effect though will probably not be long lived as the <br />invasion rate of trees and shrubs into previously mined areas is rather high. Therefore, it can be <br />expected that even though grass domination will occur for a few to several decades after completion <br />of reclamation, eventually the mountain top will return to a habitat similar to what is there now. <br />This increase in grass forage though could also help increase certain predator species for some time <br />and thus help maintain those species. <br />In conclusion, although there are significant wildlife resources on Table Mountain most of <br />those resources are not associated with the top of the mountain where the mining will occur. <br />Therefore, impacts of the mining on wildlife resources will be minor because changes on the <br />mountain side slopes where most of the wildlife lives will be essentially zero. For some period of <br />time after reclamation, the top of the mountain may become a more diverse habitat than it currently <br />is, but after several decades of tree and shrub invasion [he habitat value will likely decline to a level <br />similar to its present very limited value. In the final analysis, it is unlikely the mine will have any <br />long term, adverse effects on the wildlife habitat on Table Mountain. <br />A significant change that resulted shortly after the approval of the original permit was an <br />alteration of access to the mountain for hunting and hiking. Although some people still park along <br />Highway 115 and hike into the area, which is basically a trespass, the primary public access route <br />has been changed. To avoid conflicts with trucks and automobiles on the access road, public access <br />is now provided only be foot from the Beaver Creek drainage on the north side of the mountain, <br />This has considerably reduced public use of the mountain, but hunters are still common in the <br />autumn. This change was mutually agreed to between the CDOW and the Board of Land <br />Commissioners. <br />Table Mountain Quarry -Castle Concrete Company Exhibit H (Amendment 1 i Page 2 <br />