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.. .... ,• v. ~v..v n.wv <br />nlthnd 0. t,I11O1, ri 0••rAel <br />O EPA RTMENT OF NATURAL RESOURCES <br />DlVlSION OF WILDLIFE i EC ~_ ~ i ~~, <br />. ~ J~ch R. 6rI~G, Dlr~clor - <br />60606•e~eway ~•' {. 1 .~ ~~/~ <br />O•nv~r, COIOr~OO 80216 ~623.1192~ <br />H L• Ft O R A 17 D U N <br />i0: pan Mathews <br />Mined Land Recla:+ tion <br />FROt:L: Al Whitaker <br />Wildlife Program Specialist <br />SUBJECT: Shrub Density Performance Standards <br />DATE: December 10, 1981 <br />I have given considerable though[ to the above referenced subject and <br />have searched the available literature dealing with shrub density. <br />It is obvious chat (a) mountain shrub habitats have not been measured <br />in terms of a number of stems per acre in the past, and (b) any recom- <br />mendation we could make which would be most beneficial to wildlife <br />would be uneconomical for a coal company to achieve with present tech- <br />~• ~ nology, within bonding periods specified 6y law and regulation. <br /> <br />Mountain shrub and sagebrush habitats are very important co wildlife <br />in Colorado. In a recent survey of the 1Vi111ams Fotk Planning Uni[ <br />{Bureau of Land Management), there vas a 92 percent overlap of strip- <br />. gable coal resource ace as and big game winter range. host of this <br />winter range vas mountain shrub and sagebrush vegetation. Shrubs ate <br />the most important food source to wildlife species during severe winters <br />for the simple reason that they protrude above the snow and are, thus, <br />available as food. She important game species, the sage grouse, is <br />totally dependent on its sagebrush winter habitats. In short, [he , <br />state's shrub vegetative habitats are Critically important to the <br />wildlife resource. <br />I find Che recent letter to you from lent Crofts a bit misleading, <br />although he does have several good recommendations. From what he has <br />said, it could be deduced that shrub density and wildlife use ate <br />inversely proportional. Such is not true and big game only avoid areas <br />of extremely high shrub density., and these dense shrub areas do pro- <br />vide cover and nesting habitat. for a variety oC wildlife other than <br />deer and elk. <br />Ono must beat in mind that big game winter ranges are such for severa• <br />reasons: Elevation, Aspect, Vegetation and Slope. All these components <br />are important [o the wi1d11Ee utilizing tfic particular winter range, but <br />38-52 <br />OEPARfMENI OF NATUW AI RESOUPCES. Meng: Pn.coe, E•sr~n:•e D~et+or • "fin DII/E COMMISSION'N:n.w a~dde-. Gtio:rr^on <br />