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rubber rabbitbrush, or bitterbrush. Gambel's oak becomes less dominant at lower elevations as <br />sagebrush, serviceberry, and chokecherry are interspersed; oak dominates only on east facing <br />slopes. At the lowest elevations, serviceberry and chokecherry diminish in abundance, leaving a <br />community dominated by sagebrush, rabbitbrush, and grasses. <br />Wildlife <br />Fauna are diverse in and adjacent to the permit area due to the wide variety of habitat types. <br />Antelope are found year-round in the lower sagebrush and cropland areas. Mule deer are found <br />during all seasons of the year in the mountain shrub community, sagebrush/grass community, <br />and piiion/juniper community (pinon/juniper occurs south of the permit area). Elk use the permit <br />area primarily in the fall, winter, and early spring. In the summer months, elk remain at higher <br />elevations in the Williams Fork Mountains, east of the permit area. Blue grouse, Columbian <br />sharp-tail grouse, and sage grouse are all residents or occasional residents of the permit area. <br />Land Uses <br />Land uses in the area are rangeland, wildlife habitat, and agriculture. Cattle and sheep are grazed <br />in the Williams Fork Mountains and on the toe slopes of the mountains in the spring and fall. <br />Dry land wheat is cultivated in favorable areas on the colluvial toe slopes of the Williams Fork <br />Mountains. Native hay and some dry land wheat are cultivated on the soils of the Yampa and <br />Williams Fork River valleys. The area provides habitat and migration routes for antelope, elk <br />and mule deer. Raptors, several species of game birds, and numerous smaller mammals are <br />found in the Williams Fork Mountains, and surrounding areas. <br />Trapper Mine 14 September 21, 2009