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shrub communities, and 6 miles of pastureland/reclaimed vegetation. At a • maximum pipeline corridor width of 75 feet, the corresponding vegetation disturbance associated with construction of these 42 miles of pipeline beyond the Piceance Site would total approximately 200 acres of sagebrush, 64 acres of pinyon- juniper, 64 acres of mountain shrub, and 55 acres of pastureland/reclaimed vegetation. The regional abundance of the sagebrush and pinyon-juniper communities is discussed above. Mountain shrub communities are locally abundant at elevations over 7,000 feet. The loss of the acreages of these communities indicated above would not be a significant impact on a regional scale. Reclamation and revegetation of the pipeline corridor are addressed in Section 6.4 and Section 6.5.2, respectively. The very narrow, linear pipeline corridor and the presence of abundant native seed sources bordering its entire length enhance potential for long-term colonization and succession of native plant communities. For maintenance and access reasons, trees or large shrubs would not be allowed to become established directly over the pipeline. As indicated in Section 7.6.2, the pipeline corridor passes through a number of geographical sections that have been documented to be the locations of plant communities considered to be "vulnerable" or "imperiled" in the state and throughout their ranges (see Figure 7-18). Potential impacts to these plant • communities will be assessed in consultation with the BLM on asite-specific basis based on final pipeline routing and specific known community site locations. Potential impacts to threatened and endangered plant species are addressed in Section 8.8.1. As indicated in Section 7.6.3, the preferred Parachute Site occupies an existing, inactive industrial site that is largely disturbed and whose vegetation is dominated by weeds. Most new development will occur on previously disturbed sites, and, therefore, no impacts to native vegetation are anticipated. Less disturbed areas at the preferred Parachute Site are dominated by rabbitbrush. Because most of the new development at the Parachute Site will be near existing developed sites, the rabbitbrush community is not likely to be affected much. Any impacts to this common valley-floor community would be insignificant. 8.6 WILDLIFE 8.6.1 Mule Deer Estimated direct losses of mule deer wintering habitat at the Piceance Site under the exploration plan and the experimental test mine plan were approximately 15.5 acres, and these impacts have been accounted for in the respective plans (Steigers 1996, • American Soda 1997d). Development of the commercial Yankee Gulch Project would result in direct loss of additional mule deer wintering habitat at the Piceance American Soda, L.L.P. ~'_18 Commercial Mine Plan August 18. 1998