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<br />• completed most elk had moved on to higher elevations and were observed only infrequently. <br />Some elk do winter at lower elevations in the project area. Based upon observations much of the <br />area where development activity is proposed is more in transition range. <br />Mule deer were not observed in any significant numbers during the period of studies. There were <br />• no specific areas where most were observed. Most were observed later in the studies and in all <br />habitat types. There is very little mule deer winter range in the study area and this is limited to <br />elevations below the project area. <br />• One young bull moose was observed crossing over the ridge between Two Ponds and the Dry <br />Fork of Minnesota Creek in May. This was the only time a moose or evidence of their presence <br />was observed during the surveys. <br />• One black bear was observed in the Sylvester Gulch drainage and there was considerable <br />• evidence of black bear activity found throughout the study area. The black bear population in the <br />North Fork Valley is high and continues to grow. Development activities in this and other project <br />areas have not been a deterrent to their activities. <br />When evaluating potential effects on big game habitat use from proposed development activities <br />two things must be considered; (1) numbers of animals that might use the area for winter or <br />transition range and (2) total amount of habitat available. Based upon observations made during <br />these studies elk and deer numbers are low from spring through fall. In the winter most animals <br />will be found below where most development activity will occur. Considering the amount of <br />suitable habitat available throughout the area from spring through fall transition periods there <br />should be little affect on either deer or elk activity. <br />NEOTROPICAL BIRDS <br />Birds observed, other than listed species and raptors, were what would be expected in the various <br />habitat types found in the project area. A total of 66 species were observed while conducting <br />transects or as opportunistic observations - Table 5 In May there were numerous species of <br />migrating birds observed in the study area. By June numbers of those species declined as they <br />had moved on through the area. In June and July birds that breed in the area were observed <br />almost exclusively. <br />As is commonly found when conducting bird studies, there are preferred habitat types within any <br />• study area. In addition, there are birds that are habitat generalists and others that have specific <br />• habitat requirements. As shown by the data collected for this project the greatest diversity of <br />birds was found in aspen and Gamble oak/mountain shrub habitat. Riparian habitat typically has <br />the highest diversity and density of birds and would probably have been higher had there been <br />more diverse riparian habitat in the study area. Riparian habitat was limited and lacked the <br />vegetation typically found in riparian areas where density and diversity of birds is higher. The <br />greatest diversity of birds in riparian habitat was found along the Dry Fork of Minnesota Creek <br />in areas where there was less gradient and vegetation such as willows, hawthorn, alder and red <br />osier dogwood were more common. Many of the bird species shown for the riparian habitat <br />12