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• elk/mi2 from 1994-2007. Although the density of elk observed in 2007 (7.1/mil) was higher than <br />that observed in the previous year, it was below the 13-year average of 9.4 elk/mi2, and the <br />Figure 1. Elk density on the expanded and Yoast Mine areas during winter aerial surveys <br />from 1994 through 2007. <br />20 <br /> p Expanded area <br /> 1 6. 5 <br /> 15.7 o Yoast area <br />15 ----------- ---------L4-~ '-------------------- <br />y 13.0 <br /> <br /> 10.6 10.8 <br />s. <br />~ 10 ----------- ------- --8.8 ------------- ---~~---- ------------- <br /> <br />~ 7.3 7.6 7.6 7.4 7.6 7.1 <br />W 6.3 6.5 5.5 5.8 <br />'' S <br />3 <br /> . <br />5.0 <br />5 - --- -- ---- --- -- --- -- -- <br /> ' 3.2 ~ 3.4 <br />. 2.5 ' ~.6 <br /> 1.9 1.9 1.6 1.8 <br /> ~~ - :... \ <br />0 <br /> 1994 1995 19 96 1997 19 98 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 <br /> Year <br />Expanded survey area: 84.5 miZ (1994-1995), 89.5 miZ (1996-2007). <br />Yoast survey area: 21.4 mil (1994-2007). <br />second lowest ever observed during flights conducted employing helicopters. Despite the <br />observed fluctuations in elk densities over the years, and omitting the December 1994 survey, <br />densities in the expanded area exhibit a slight decreasing trend (Figure 1). The low density <br />recorded during the December 1994 survey was likely due to poor ground conditions (patchy <br />snow cover) and the use of a fixed-wing aircraft for the survey. These factors likely affected the <br />observers' ability to detect animals and resulted in under counting. Considerably more elk were <br />. observed one month later, January 1995, when the area was surveyed from a helicopter. <br />2007 Yoast Mine Wildlife Monitoring Page 5 <br />