Laserfiche WebLink
Various studies show mule deer and elk prefer succulent forages more than woody species during various <br />times of the year. Miller et al. (1981) found big game selected up to 52 percent grasses in their diets during • <br />the period of March through June. Forts accounted far 38 percent. The hig game in this study also tended <br />to congregate in areas where palatable forage occurred (again, similar to Seneca reclaimed areas). The <br />study site was in forested areas with brush understory and dear cut areas seeded with palatable herbaceous <br />forage. While these opened areas covered only 31 percent of the area, 66 percent of the big game diet <br />came from them. The value of forage plants available to deer and elk is an important consideration in <br />addition to structural characteristics of a habitat. Carpenter et al. (1979), in a study near Kremmling, <br />Colorado, found mule deer selected a large amount of grasses and forts during the winter months of <br />January and February when snow cover was minimal. Over 50 percent of their diets consisted of grasses <br />and forts in a 30-day grazing trial. In a study by Willms et al. (1979) on big sagebrush range in British <br />Columbia, it was found deer selected 68 percent of their earty spring diet as grasses and forts. <br />While big game and livestock will benefit from the increase in herbaceous cover, various bird speces and <br />small mammals will also benefit from the addition of this habitat component. Food and nesting cover will be <br />increased for small mammals and some birds. Large statured herbaceous species such as basin wildrye <br />have been included in the seed mix to enhance this cover component. Basin wildrye will also provide winter <br />grazing and cover when snowpack increases (Majerus 1992). Raptors and other predators will have <br />increased potential for hunting success because of the more open areas and increase in the population of • <br />small mammals. <br />The replacement of woody vegetation types with reclaimed areas dominated by herbaceous species will <br />diversify regional habitat. The potential benefits of the reclaimed area forage resources to big game have <br />been described above. Big game use in similar areas increases during various times of the year. <br />Hungerford (1979) reported deer establish new home ranges in newly opened areas because of increases in <br />herbaceous forages. A small resident elk herd may have established itself in the vicinity of the Seneca II <br />Mine. Similar year round elk use is reported at the Colorado Yampa Coal Company (Johnson 1990). <br />The loss of cover formerly provided by the woody component will be offset by grading and creating <br />topographic diversity within the general postmine landscape. This has been successful in past reclamation <br />at the Seneca II Mine. The occurrence of big game in the interior reclaimed areas at all times of the day is <br />relatively common. The shrub planting program will be oriented towards enhancement of islands where <br />shrub cover will develop in the larger open blocks. These plantings will encourage localized areas of <br />regeneration versus a stem for stem restoration of the woody plants on every acre. The combination of <br />grading to create topographic diversity and concentrated shrub plantings will aid in mitigating the loss of <br />shrub cover in the affected areas of the mine. • <br />TR-37 13-6 Revised 04/05 <br />