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<br />Project Effects to ~!d[ife <br />According to the mineral extraction plan for NCCI Pit #1 noise and air emissions during <br />mining will cause a temporary disturbance to wildlife. Species such as raccoons, coyotes, <br />beaver, deer, and raptors will continue to use the site itself when operations are not active <br />and during contemporaneous reclamation. Bird species will use the periphery of the site <br />' and the site itself opportunistically, if prey or food species are present. <br />The proposed project will extract material and leave seven cells covering the majority of <br />the site. Permanent reclamation of the site will entail grading, respreading topsoil, and <br />seeding and planting perennial species that will support wildlife. The mining and <br />reclamation will create a diverse habitat on the site. Areas of open water will sustain <br />species of reptiles and amphibians as well as shorebirds and waterfowl, and create fringe <br />environments favorable to predatory mammals and raptors, as well as food and water <br />sources for herbivores. With the planting of additional cottonwood trees and shrubs, <br />additional strata and vegetation layers will be added to the site, creating improved cover, <br />foraging, roosting, and nesting areas for wildlife. Improving the cover through seeding <br />and planting will increase wildlife dispersion corridors and "edges" that provide <br />significantly increased habitat diversity over the large monocultural vegetation <br />associations currently present. <br /> <br /> <br />~, <br />V <br /> <br />IJ <br /> <br />1 <br />1 <br />1 <br />