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should not result in significant impacts. Successional time frames and the required land • <br />(orm stabilization practices play important roles in [he type of vegetation initially <br />established on the reclaimed landscape. The predominantly native herbaceous vegetation, <br />net essary for quick and long-term <.:t abilixation, is highly competitive and will dominate <br />for a considerable period of tune. Even in unseeded areas, herbaceous vegetation <br />(perennial) establishes in a relatively short time, and will maintain a presence as an <br />early to mid-successional community for some time (see Table 42 in the 1990 Revegeta t:i on <br />Monitoring Report for the Seneca 11 Mine). <br />Livestock grazing has historically been the most intensive land use on the permit area, <br />Wildlife management has generally been restricted to managing populations through harvest <br />(hunting), and wildlife habitat development or improvement has not been intensively <br />pursued. Since the surface ownership of the permit area is, for the most part, private <br />(see Tab 3, Adjudication File), the postmi ne surface control will be similar. Thus, <br />because of economics, leasing patterns, and agriculture as a major industry in the area, <br />the primary postmine land use will revert to livestock grazing. Land use will be similar <br />on the Federal and State lands within the permit. However, wildlife and associated uses <br />will not be excluded. Revegetation will concentrate on stabilization and forage resources <br />while backfilling and grading practices vill provide topographic diversity and stockwa[er <br />developments. The size of the reclaimed areas are not large in relation to the <br />surrounding undisturbed lands and these areas are irregularly shaped. The regional <br />habitat will be enhanced compared to the premine situation. These practices will <br />concurrently satisfy the needs of livestock and wildlife. Livestock grazing on reclaimed <br />lands will encourage reestablishment of native plants, species diversity, and woody plant <br />density (see the 1991-1993 Revegetation Monitoring Reports for the Seneca 11 Mine, Wadge <br />Pasture grazing discussion). <br />A common range improvement/rehabilitation practice is the reduction in, or elimination of, <br />woody plant vegetation in areas used by Livestock. This allows plant growth resources to <br />be tlirected towards the herbaceous component, thus increasing the useable herbaceous <br />forage production for livestock, as well as wildlife. I[ also improves accessibility and <br />utilization by removing dense and many times impenetrable thickets of brush. The Colorado <br />Division of Wildlife (CDOW) has stated that dense shrub communities could be thinned or <br />"opened up" by various means including mining, thus providing benefits to wildlife at the <br />same time (Whitaker, 1982). • <br />2 <br />