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ad ~' have been high for ducks and rabbits which have a well-defined history in the area. Geese kills have remained stable, but low. Adjacent Areas. Adjacent Area Uses. Land use adjacent to the Seneca II-W Mine Permit Area is shown on Exhibit 4-1. Contiguous land use for the Mine Permit Area is primarily rangeland wildlife habitat. The area immediately east and southeast of the permit area is used as rangeland for sheep. However, it is also leased to a sporting club for use during the hunting season -- a recreational use. A small area of approximately 30 acres is categorized as pastureland and is in close proximity to the Mine Permit Area on the west. The parcel of pastureland can be irrigated and appears to be occasionally cut for hay, but is not intensively managed as such. Another area, adjacent to Dry Creek and just north of the Dry Creek Road/Permit Area Access Road junction is used for pasture and hay and totals approximately 20 acres. While both elk and mule deer have been observed feeding among the domestic livestock near the Yampa River north of the study area, elk and mule deer usually collect along the Yampa River only during winter months when severe winter rveather and snow levels force them down from surrounding higher elevations. Elk and mule deer appear in part to be attracted to this area to avail themselves of stored livestock feed as a supplementary food source during severe winter months. The lack of such farm-related activities adjacent to the study site makes this potential land use conflict a relatively minor one for this particular Mine Permit Area. Farther to the west of the Mine Permit Area access corridor, cropland occupies the sloping upland surfaces on the west side of Dry Creek. These upland areas are 250 to 300 feet higher than the Dry Creek valley. The steep slopes extending from the upland areas to Dry Creek are classified as rangeland. However, several residences have been or are under construction in this area. Seven residences are shown on Exhibit 4-1 (Map 2). Two newer residences are not shown on this exhibit. One is located 2,000 feet west of the permit area. The other house is located approximately one and one-half mites north of the access road junction with the Dry Creek road. Two houses are located just north of the Mine Permit Area near the mine permit access point to the road that follows Dry Creek. These are the residences nearest to the ~ 10