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upon the local el.k population. Reproduction, calving home range size, fidelity <br />to calving home ranges, and habitat utilization patterns have apparently not <br />been changed. Blasting and other mine disturbance do not appear to have <br />displaced elk. The only impact mining appears to have is the temporary loss of <br />aspen habitats which are actually disturbed. In this study, aspen and mountain <br />shrub (cover) are selected by elk during the calving period. As aspen habitats <br />are changed to newly reclaimed lands, this obviously changes utilization of <br />these areas. However, this change has had no measured adverse impacts on the <br />elk in the study area. Mined lands are quickly reclaimed and although newly <br />reclaimed lands provide less cover for elk, they do provide excellent forage in <br />greater abundance than found in aspen habitats. These newly reclaimed lands, <br />although not selected during calving, are being used in proportion to their <br />availability during this period. In addition, reclaimed areas received <br />increased utilization during other times of the year, especially during the fall <br />months. This probably results from the quality and abundance of forage on <br />reclaimed sites and the reduced thermal cover requirements of elk during this <br />time of year. <br />FUTURE PLANS <br />Future plans call for completion of the final year of the study, with <br />monitoring to continue as done during the past year, <br />similar. In addition, home range size analsyis <br />variability. Measurements will also be taken to <br />blasting from calving home range activity centers <br />tolerance and disturbance can be better defined. <br />Data analysis will also be <br />will be refined to reduce <br />determine the distances of <br />of mine elk so that noise <br />12 <br />