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<br />EXHIBIT H <br />WILDLIFE <br /> <br />There are no significant wildlife resources !on the affected lands.. There <br />are signs of some big game, black bear (ursus~americanus), mule deer (odocoileus <br />hemoinus) and elk (cervus canadensis) which occassionally ,wander through the area. <br />There are, however, no large herds in the immediate area using the affected lands <br />as a migration route between winter and summer ranges. Various small maimnal pop- <br />ulations, including marmot (marmots flaviventris), snowshoe hate (lepus ;imericanus), <br />chipmunk (eutamias spp.) and a variety of mice exist on the disturbed laird. These <br />animals also are not significantly affected by the mining operation. Bird popula- <br />tions inhabiting the area are small and relatively undisturbed. The habitat and <br />food resources in the area have not been noticeably reduced to a point which would <br />restrict the size of any existing wildlife populations. Heavy equipment usage in <br />~e operation is minimal, resulting in noise levels below any which would cause harm <br />to populations in the area. <br />As stated earlier, no noticeable loss of wildlife populations or food and <br />habitat resources has been incurred or is expected to as a result of this: operation. <br />The construction of Tailings Pond No. 4 (now two years old) will not inteerfere with <br />migratory routes or mating grounds of any wildlife in the area. Impact on the animal <br />populations has been small. <br />Upon completion of Tailings Pond No. 4, it will be subjected to the same re- <br />~getation program already initiated in inactive Tailings Ponds No. 1, No. 2 and <br />o. 3. This revegetation program will add to the ground cover and incre<<se habitat <br />range. The effect will be minimal though, considering the small amount of affected <br />acreage. The only wildlife to benefitfrom the revegetation would be they small mammal <br />and bird populations. <br />Human activity has decreased considerably from forty years ago, during which <br />time this area was heavily mined. The effect on wildlife resulting from this parti- <br />cular operation which has been ongoing since the early 1900's is minimal. Those <br />wildlife populations which would be affected by heavy human activity have. long since <br />disappeared. <br />There are no populations of threatened or endangered species from either <br />State or Federal lists in or around [he vicinity. This was confirmed upon contacting <br />the local Wildlife Conservation Officer (Durango). <br />-35- <br /> <br />