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<br /> <br />Page 9 <br />collected during future monitoring should help answer this question. <br />Elk are found almost exclusively on the southern end of the permit <br />area in and around the large aspen grove that has remained intact <br />throughout the mining operations, (T4N., R85~~1., W 1/8 Sec. 19: T4N, R86~d., <br />SE 1/4, SE 1/4 Sec. 13 E 1/4 Sec. 24). As was noted in the permit <br />application, this aspen stand and adjacent reclaimed areas are used by <br />approximately 75-100 cows annually for calving and rearing activities. No <br />elk calving has been observed in the Moffat area or in the aspen areas <br />immediately to the east of the Moffat area. <br />Elk use at the southern end of the property (Center Ridge) has <br />continued to remain high. As in the past, cow calf ratios were higher <br />within this area (100 47) as compared to all surrounding areas (100 42). <br />Observations by biologists from the Colorado Yampa Coal Company (CYCC) show <br />the same although higher ratios (100 54) on mine properties to (100 51) <br />off mine properties. The higher ratios observed by the CYCC biologists are <br />attributed to the use of a helicopter for counts vs. fixed wing counts by <br />P&T4 biologists. The high use of mine sites for calving has been documented <br />in the past and is a continuing trend. Whether there is actually a higher <br />calving success on mine sites or the fact that cows with calves are more <br />readily observed on the reclaimed areas (as compared to offsite areas) <br />remains a question to be answered. <br />Observations have shown a significant increase in elk numbers on mine <br />sites during hunting season. This appears to be in response to off site <br />hunting pressure moving the animals onto the mine sites where no hunting is <br />permitted. <br />In summary, it has been found during the course of baseline studies <br />