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• lesser amounts of mountain mahogany (Cercocarpus montanus) and serviceberry (Amelanchier <br />spp.). Aspen (Populus tremuloides) stands and isolated stands of fir (Abies spp.) and spruce <br />(Picea pungens) were scattered throughout those areas as well, but mainly occurred along the <br />upper reaches of drainages and north-facing slopes. The lower elevations typically hosted mixed <br />grassland and sagebrush-grasslands communities. Big sagebrush (Artemisia tridentata) habitats <br />primarily occurred in the northern extents of the permit area. Idled pastures included in the <br />Conservation Reserve Program (CRP) and agricultural fields flanked the haul road corridor <br />extending to the north. Bottomland habitats occurred along the primary drainages (Grassy Creek <br />and Scotchman's Gulch), some of the larger tributaries, and around stock reservoirs. <br />METHODS <br />Upland Game Birds <br />Sharp-tailed grouse lek monitoring and searches were limited to the Yoast Mine permit area and <br />suitable habitats within 0.5 mile of the permit area. ICF Jones & Stokes biologists conducted <br />• counts between one-half hour before and one hour after sunrise on the mornings of April 29 and <br />May 2, 2008 at each of the six known sharp-tailed grouse leks (Yoast Mine Road, Trousdale, <br />Fifer, and Annan's 20-mile 1-3) previously documented within the survey area. Three of the <br />known sharp-tailed grouse leks were discovered during baseline studies for the Yoast Mine in <br />1993. The Colorado Division of Wildlife (CDOW) has designated these leks as follows: <br />Annan's 20-mile 1 (in SE SE Section 9 T5N:R87W); Annan's 20-mile 2 (in SE SE Section 5 <br />T5N:R87W); and Annan's 20-mile 3 (in SE NW Section 9 T5N:R87W). Prior to the CDOW <br />designations, annual wildlife reports for the Yoast Mine referred to the Annan's 1, 2, and 3 leks <br />as STG-4, STG-1, and STG-3, respectively. Three additional leks were found in subsequent <br />years, including the Yoast Mine Road lek (SW SW Section 28 T6N:R87W) in 2000, the <br />Trousdale lek (NE SE Section 32 T6N:R87W) in 2002, and the Fifer lek (SE NE Section 5 <br />T5N:R87W) in 2005. Additionally, ICF Jones & Stokes biologists found an alternate location <br />(SW NE Section 32 T5N:R87W) for the Trousdale lek in 2004 and have been monitoring both <br />the original and alternate site during each of the following years. <br />. Lek counts were conducted by having biologists drive or walk to a vantage point near each lek <br />and count all birds present. In rare occasions when vegetation or topography prevented a <br />2008 Yoast Mine Wildlife Monitoring Page 2