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Carnivorous species include the coyote (Canis latrans ,striped skunk (Mephitus mephitus), and red <br />• fox (Vul~es fulva). Raptors include Coopers hawk (Acci iter rii), red-tailed hawk (Buteo <br />jamaicensis), and American kestrel (Falco s arverius . All of these species utilize a wide variety of <br />habitats and adapt readily to human activity. For example, the striped skunk will build dens under <br />buildings and the American kestrel will nest on buildings. The small mammals and songbirds <br />identified during baseline studies are all common to agricultural areas, as well as grass and shrub <br />lands that predominate in the area. <br />Land Use <br />Premining land use has been primarily agricultural, both as pasture and hay production. Wildlife use <br />has been of secondary importance. Postmining land use plans (as described in Section 2.05.4(2)(e) <br />- Revegetation) are designed around reestablishing grazing and optimizing the potential use of the <br />area by wildlife. <br />Wildlifie-Reclamation Relationships <br /> <br />As shown in Section 2.05.4(2)(e) - Revegetation, the post-reclamation vegetation groupings are <br />represented by different permanent seed mixtures. The dryland pasture mix and the stream channel <br />and diversion mix are designed specifically for erosion control and grazing, but will also provide <br />benefits to wildlife. <br />Forb establishment is very important from a wildlife standpoint. The proposed species lists include <br />agriculturally important forts that also have good utility for wildlife. Further Forb establishment will <br />be accomplished by natural invasion. On existing reclamation at other mines (Big Sky Mine, <br />Rosebud County, Montana), fort invasion has been significant on reclamation lands (ECON, Inc., <br />1979). <br />Protection of Fish and Wildlife Resources <br />Threatened or Endangered Spedes. The baseline wildlife studies (Section 2.04.11) did not reveal <br />any habitat critical to the continued existence of any threatened or endangered species (Federal or <br />(Revised a-~~ss) _ 2.05.6(2) - 3 <br />