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• TRAPPER MINING INC. • BIG GAME PROGRAM Big game are an important economical and esthetic commodity in northwest Colorado. Trapper Ftining, Inc. operates a surface coal mine just south of Craig in the heart of big game country. Much of the permit area is located on the north facing slopes of the Williams Fork Mountains, an area considered winter range for mule deer and elk. Trapper Mine has developed an extensive reclamation and wildlife mitigation program to offset effects of mining on these game animals. This program encompases many activities designed to benefit deer and elk and their habitat within the mine's permit area. Browse Improvements Since 1980, Trapper has "crushed" fifty acre tracts of the overmature mountain shrub community within the permit area. A dozer is walked accross the areas in the winter, when the shrubs are dormant and brittle, breaking them down. The result is an opening up of the area, allowing access by big game animals. Grass/Forb production increases along with increased sprouting by shrub species. More browse is made available to big game during the winter and spring months. A total of 250 acres leave keen manipulated to date. Additionally, in [he fall of 1987, Trapper will be conducting an 750 acre controlled burn of the ovennature mountain shrub community. One of the goals of the burn will he to improve the quality and quantity of available forage Eor big game. Results of this habitat manipulation has been an improvement of 250 acres of winter range for big game. Pellet group analysis have shown a slight increase of usage of the area, but as expected is influenced by snow depth. Based on incidental sightings, usage of the area is greatest during the spring months. Shrub Reestablishment One of the major concerns of successful reclamation of mined lands to wildlife habitat is the reestablishment of native shrubs. At Trapper, the goal of shrub reestablishment is to provide adequate cover and suitable forage for big game. To attain this goal, mature shrubs are transplanted via front end loader frrnn areas in advance of [he active pit and placed on recontoured and topsoiled spoils behind the open pit. A clump of shrubs are established approximately 1.6 acres in size. Two hundred and fifty mature shrubs are placed in the 1.6 acre clump, spaced to provide optimum hiding cover for big game. The clumps are established one thousand four hundred feet apart and are normally constructed in the late fall when the shrubs are dormant. Results of [he transplant program have been satisfying. Survival of the mature shrubs has been good and deer and antelope are routinely sighted in the clumps. Elk, on occasion, have also been seen in the clumps in the spring and fall months. Watering Areas In many cases, available water restricts the distribution of big game and their usage of an area. At Trapper, livestock watering ponds are constructed nn reclaimed areas to provide watering areas and to assist in runoff control. These ponds are constructed at a density not to exceed one pond per ten acres.