2008-03-12_REPORT - C1980005

• Permit No: C1980005
• IBM Index Class Name: REPORT
• Doc Date: 3/12/2008
• Doc Name: 2007 Annual Reclamation Report
• From: Seneca Coal Company
• To: DRMS
• Permit Index Doc Type: Annual Reclamation Report
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

that observed in the previous year, it was below the 13-year average of 9.4 elk/mi2, and the
second lowest ever observed during flights conducted employing helicopters. Despite the
observed fluctuations in elk densities over the years, and omitting the December 1994 survey,
densities in the expanded area exhibit a slight decreasing trend (Figure 1). The low density
recorded during the December 1994 survey was likely due to poor ground conditions (patchy
snow cover) and the use of a fixed-wing aircraft for the survey. These factors likely affected the
observers' ability to detect animals and resulted in under counting. Considerably more elk were
observed one month later, January 1995, when the area was surveyed from a helicopter.
Figure 1. Elk density on the expanded and Seneca II Mine areas during winter aerial
surveys from 1994 through 2007.
30
p Expanded area 26.1
25 ----------------- ~ SenecaII area -------- -----
• 209 20.9
~~ -------------------------'~--------------------------- n --------- ------------
16.5 16.3

~ 15 - ~ - ------14. o _
C"
10.4
^'
(~ 10
------
~
-
-
- 9.3 _
-
7.3 7.6 n
5 --3~-
1.9n
0
1994 1995
1996 1997 1998
---13-'~------------------ 13,
54 -------------------
~ 7.66.9 7.46.9 7.6
- - - - 2.9
~
_
1999 2000 2001 2002 2003
-Year
14.9
--- - --- ----
12
.9
lr-, \ n
i' I
7.1
5.8
- -- - 3.4
2004 2005 2006 2007
Expanded survey area: 84.5 mil (1994-1995), 89.5 mil (1996-2007).
Seneca I1 survey area: 17.5 mil (1994-2007).
• Snowfall and snow accumulation, both on the survey area and in the general vicinity,
influence to some degree, the number of elk that winter within the extended survey area. The
2007 Seneca II Mine Wildlife Monitoring Page 5
...