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compatible with the objectives of livestock growers, and may also be very compatible with the <br />needs of wild ungulate grazers such as elk. The latter apparently find the production of the <br />reclaimed areas much to their liking as evidenced by accounts of mine personnel citing the <br />abundance of elk, especially during the winter, and tfie abundance, during summer sampling, of <br />their scat throughout many parts of the reclamation. Deer, commonly present in the <br />reclamation as well, will benefit from the herbaceous production in the reclaimed areas during <br />spring, summer, and fall. <br />The usefulness of reclaimed area production can be assessed by determining the proper livestock <br />stocking rates based on measured biomass production. The estimated stocking rates for the <br />reclaimed and reference areas in 1993 are as follows: <br />Reclaimed Unit AUM <br />Pre-law Areas /acre <br />N/C <br />1986 Reclaimed Areas 1.6 <br />1989 Reclaimed Areas 1.6 <br />1991 Reclaimed Areas N/C <br />PECOCO Pasture <br />(includes native vegetation sites) 2.0 <br />Wadge Pasture 2.2 <br />Wadge Pasture '91 1.6 <br />Reference Areas AUM /acre <br />Mountain Brush 0.5 <br />Sagebrush 0.9 <br />The above calculations were based on a proper use factor of 50 percent and one animal unit <br />requiring 810 pounds of forage per month. <br />The SCS has estimated annual production values for the mountain loam range site <br />(corresponding to the Sagebrush type) and the brushy loam type (corresponding to the <br />Mountain Brush type). These estimates are contained in the range site descriptions for these <br />units. For the mountain loam range site, production of sites in excellent condition during an <br /> <br />26 <br />