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4-53 <br /> and avium wildlife would occur if they were eliminated <br />• or substantially disturbed. Rimrock a nd pinyon-juniper <br /> woodlands are also important habitats for big game and <br />raptorial birds; however, the vast aerial extent of these <br />habitats in the lease area substantially reduce the sig- <br />nificance of habitat alteration on a small scale. <br />.~„~, a ~ ~ <br />• ~~.. <br />4.6.10 P7ildlife Plan <br />Surface disturbance and accompanying wildlife habitat <br />destruction associated with the mining operations a~ <br />planned in this //permit are of limited aerial extent and <br />not significant'~to the existing wildlife resources as <br />described in Section 4.6. The total area of direct sur- <br />face disturbance associated with the mining plan is less ~- <br />than 5 a_~es. A portion of this area includes a pre-/~l•$ <br />existing access road. The primary disturbance to the <br />existing wildlife resources will be through increased <br />human and mechanized activity associated with transit of <br />mine product and the mine work force. Experience through <br />research on the effects of coal mining on wildlife resouces <br />in southeastern Montana by the United States Fish and Y7ild- <br />life Service (unpublished) has shown that mining impacts <br />can be positive and that many negative impacts are associ- <br />ated with activity not the direct result of mining, such <br />as road kills and poaching. Existing large game popula- <br />tions have adapted very well to mining activity and cer- <br />• tain aspects of mining have actually enhanced wildlife re- <br />sources due to creation of more diverse habitat. <br />