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TAB 4 <br />• <br />PREMINING LAND USE <br />Executive Summary <br />Regional land use patterns are oriented in three relatively distinct bands. Irrigated cropland is closely <br />associated with the floodplain of the Yampa River. To the south, non-irrigated crops are grown on the <br />sloping upland surfaces. The area nearest the Seneca II-W Mine is mostly hilly and mountainous terrain <br />and used primarily as rangeland for sheep and cattle and wildlife habitat. <br />The region provides both seasonal and permanent habitat for a variety of wildlife species. While some <br />competition for forage exists between big game species Imainly elk and mule deer) and domestic <br />livestock, this is limited due to the difference in primary grazing seasons. <br />This region is also part of the Big Game Management Unit H13 under the Colorado Division of Wildlife. <br />Harvest reports for 1976, 1978, 1980, and 1981 indicate that hunting pressure Inumber of hunters) <br />has generally been increasing but has not exceeded capacity as success (kill) rates remain high. While <br />success rates for Routt County in general are higher than the state average, they are lower than those <br />for Unit A13. <br />• Land use contiguous to the Mine Permit Area is predominantly rangeland or associated subcategories. <br />Any areas containing alluvial deposits are small, elongated parcels of land subject to frequent flooding <br />and many times cut by uncrossable incised stream beds, all of which reduce the opportunities for <br />farming-related land uses. Due to the absence of significant farm-related uses, winter use problems <br />arising from conflicts between stored domestic forage and feeding wildlife which characterize other <br />parts of the state are relatively minor in the immediate vicinity of the study area. <br />The lie-Across Haul Road passes through areas of dry cropland, but much of the routing follows areas <br />that are still in rangeland or have been previously disturbed for roads or industrial uses. <br />The current mine permit area covers approximately 4,093 acres. Prior to the onset of <br />• <br />TR-50 <br />1 <br />Revised 11 /04 <br />