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Impacts of Mining Operations on Wildlife Resources Within the Mine Plan Area <br />Several short term negative impacts to wildlife are to be expected in the permit area. <br />Removal of vegetation communities and habitats will be the most direct impact, resulting in a <br />reduction of forage and cover. Non-mobile species will be destroyed in localized areas as <br />vegetation and topsoil are removed. Mobile species will be temporarily displaced until <br />mined areas are reclaimed. As the mine progresses, some changes in topography will occur <br />through the removing of vegetation, rock outcroppings, draws, etc. which form natural <br />shelters. <br />Disturbance of soils will affect soil profiles, micro-climate, and other soil properties. <br />The backfilling and grading as required in Section 4.14.2 will assure that topographic <br />features and drainage patterns will be returned to approximate original contour. <br />Wildlife species inhabiting the permit area that have the most potential for being affected <br />include deer, elk, sage grouse, and raptors. However, experience to date has shown that all of <br />these species have adapted to the presence of the Colowyo operation, resulting in minimal <br />direct impact. Most of the mitigation measures, protection measures, and habitat <br />improvement techniques are directed toward this wildlife group. <br />Range and Wildlife Management Programs <br />Data collected during pre-mine studies during 1974 - 1976 indicated overuse by cattle, deer, <br />and elk. A majority of the browse species (serviceberry, oak, snowberry, bitterbrush, sage, <br />chokecherry) showed overutilization to varying degrees. (It has been evident both past and <br />present that many of the shrubs are in a decadent condition.) <br />The results of past poor range management practices and heavy browse use have been a <br />reduction in growth with less available forage. In addition, species such as oak and <br />serviceberry have grown taller, with palatable growth being limited to a height which can be <br />reached only by the largest animals. <br />As oak and serviceberry have grown taller, large windbreaks have been created. In the <br />winter, these areas hold the snow, which becomes deep enough to limit all access by deer and <br />elk. Thirty years of observations on the permit area have shown that winter use of the <br />mountain shrub type by elk and deer is highly dependent on snow depth and severity of <br />winter weather conditions. The use of serviceberry has been limited to shrubs near the edges <br />of the stands where less snow buildup occurs. Depending on snow depth, elk and deer <br />populations tend to concentrate on south facing hill slope areas where snow depth is minimal. <br />Colowyo began fencing the boundaries of the Federal lease during the fall of 1976. The <br />fencing was completed during the summer of 1977. At this time all cattle were removed <br />from the lease area. The fencing was completed as part of an overall grazing management <br />program to improve the rangeland after several years of over-grazing. In 1991, Colowyo <br />constructed a similar fence to provide a boundary for the areas added to the Permit and to <br />exclude grazing in this area. <br />2.05-71