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The primary land use of the study area is "rangeland" under the current CDMG definitions. <br />However, this designation is a combination of two sub-components to this use: 1) livestock grazing, and <br />2) wildlife habitat. Much of the lower portions of the study area receive light to moderate grazing <br />pressure primarily from cattle but also some use by sheep herds. These lower elevations also provide <br />seasonal transition (migratory) habitat for big game, but more importantly offer breeding and brooding <br />habitat to indigenous sage grouse and sharp-tailed grouse populations. The higher elevations receive <br />slight to light grazing pressure from cattle, but more typically light to moderate grazing pressure from <br />sheep herds. These higher elevations also provide Spring and Summer habitat for big game, especially <br />local elk herds. <br />Based on site-specific observations, water source distribution, occupied habitats, forage availability, <br />land forms, distribution of vegetation communities, and similar landscape features and ecological <br />characteristics, the split between the land use sub-components would appear to be 80-90% livestock and <br />10-20% wildlife. It is suspected that the economic impact of these two land-use sub-components would <br />also reflect this approximate split. In recent years, much of the Collom study area, especially western <br />portions, has been managed under the Morgan Creek Ranching for Wildlife program, where livestock <br />grazing has been reduced to increase the quality and quantity of resident deer and elk populations for <br />hunting. This program has also included the development of watering sources (stock tanks) and <br />prescribed burns aimed at reducing the extent of over mature sagebrush stands and introducing a mosaic <br />of young sagebrush and grassland communities. Given this active management for wildlife, it can be <br />hypothesized that the split between land use sub-components is probably closer to 80/20 as opposed to <br />90/10, livestock grazing to wildlife habitat, respectively. <br />(CIEDARCRMIEIISAMCUATMO, INC. Page 4 2005 Collom Vegetation Survey