PERMFILE112394

• Permit No: M1980047
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Section_Exhibit Name: EXHIBIT H WILDLIFE INTRODUCTION
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

• ore storage, dams and ancillary facilities for the life of the
project. These facilities are located on summer range. The
disposal area will cover some 900 acres when completed; however,
continuous reclamation procedures will result in a maximum of
about 480 acres of the disposal area being disturbed in any one
year. Thus it is estimated that a one time maximum an estimated
1,000 acres will be removed from summer deer and elk range during
the life of the project. Following operations, reclamation will
return these areas to wildlife use.
2) The Parachute Creek canyon lowlands of the Dow West
permit area serve as deer winter range while elk find refuge
elsewhere. The vegetative cover is primarily sagebrush. Some
60 acres of the approximate 6,000 acre Dow west permit area will
be used for the access road, and mine bench during the life of
the project. The removal of this 60 acres of__winter range will
significantly affect deer population_ levels. It should be noted
that this area already contains the experimental semi-works plant
• and support facilities.
The access road and mine bench may reduce the annual carrying
capacity by 16-22 deer during the operational life of the project.
Present winter survey data (ECI, 1979) indicate that only 8 deer
were sighted in the Middle Fork of Parachute Creek where the
access road and mine bench ate located. Reclamation following
operations will return these areas to winter habitat use for deer.
3) Because of their proximity to town, the agricultural
lands which comprise the two Grand Valley permit areas receive
very limited use by deer and no use by elk. Thus the disturbance
of these 80 acres will not result in any significant change to
big game habitat.
Movement routes are important to large ungulates, such as deer
and elk. No major migration routes for these species are expected
r
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