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variation in color and size of the vegetation would create a texture that would blend more with the surrounding azea as compazed to a less diverse vegetation mix. Queens Canyon Reclamation Activity and Results Rocky Mountain Bighom Sheep Habitat The Rocky Mountain Bighorn Sheep is the Colorado State animal. Among the factors considered in reclaiming the Queens site aze the habitat requirements of the area's resident Bighom Sheep herd. The present-day herd, numbering between 75 and 100, grew from a group of about a dozen that came to Queens Canyon azea by accident. They were being relocated from the Tarryall Mountains to Pikes Peak in 1946 when the truck carrying them broke down on Highway 24. Rather than leave the animals shut inside until repairs were made, the back of the truck was aimed at Pikes Peak and the sheep were released. Instead of heading south, they headed north and stayed. This herd is now a seed herd for establishing other Bighom Sheep herds in Colorado The Colorado Division of Wildlife, which maintains the herd's health, looks for a balance between tree plantings at Queens and the meadowland acreage that the Bighorns need. The Bighorn habitat requires a cleaz field of view to spot and flee from predators. The Bighorns' chief predator is the mountain lion, which hides in wooded areas and attacks the sheep from behind. The horns target is the back of a Bighorn's neck. Rams have massive horns that curl back to protect their necks, then grow forwazd, with the tips reaching eye level when they are 7 or 8 years old. Males, thus protected, feel more comfortable in forested areas. Ewes, on the other hand, have shorter, slimmer and less curved horns that provide far less neck protection. Except for rutting season in November, rams tend to live apart from the rest of the herd, so the ewes and their young spend most of the year living together on grassland, keeping a watchful eye for predators, including bears, coyotes and domestic dogs. When danger approaches, they need an easy escape route to safety on rocky terrain. According to the Division of Wildlife's Bob Davies, one or two of the sheep are lost each year to predators, their carcasses most often found in azeas where meadow joins woodland. The enhanced reclamation plan was developed in consultation with the Colorado Division of Wildlife, and the resulting pattern of wooded and meadowland is anticipated to meet the needs of the Bighom Sheep herd that lives in the azea. Importing Topsoil During the I980s Castle Concrete recognized that the limestone waste in itself was not a suitable growth media. The company conducted studies of different methods of seeding and the use of various ferNizers and soil amendments to determine what combination of factors would improve the growth media and vegetation success. When excess soil from the Cedar Heights housing development was made available to Castle Concrete, the company deposited it on the limestone waste of the Snyder Quarry visual berm. The combination of topsoil and the moist limestone subsoil resulted in the successful establishment of vegetation. When reclamation of Queens Canyon Quarry commenced in 1990, excess soil from the Mountain Shadows development was placed in one area and produced greater success than had previously been achieved on Queens. (9)