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Sage Creek Mine February 2009 <br />• 2.0 miles of the permit area between 2000 and 2007. Most of those records occurred near the <br />southern edge of the survey perimeter on the sparse, south facing slopes north of Fish Creek <br />(Sections 32 -34 T5N:R87W) and ranged from 1 to 17 individuals per observation. One mule deer <br />herd of 16 animals was observed during the winter aerial big game surveys in January 2009. The <br />herd was seen in the same area as previous mule deer sightings. <br />4.1.3 Pronghorn <br />The CDOW has classified 0.5 square miles (3 %) of the Sage Creek Mine survey area as <br />pronghorn winter range (CDOW 2008). Those areas fall just within the extreme northwest <br />boundary of the permit area. <br />As mentioned above, incidental observations in the spring and summer suggest greater pronghorn <br />use within the Sage Creek Mine survey area than indicated by the winter big game survey results <br />alone. During winter aerial surveys between 1994 and 2007, pronghorn were observed on or <br />within 2.0 miles of the Sage Creek Mine survey area on only two occasions. Most recently, 47 <br />pronghorn (one in the CRP land in Section 28 and a herd of 46 individuals in Sections 20 and 21 <br />• T6N:R87W) were documented during the survey in 2005. Prior to that observation, 36 individuals <br />were seen just northeast of the Yoast permit area in 1994. No pronghorn were observed during <br />the winter aerial big game surveys in January 2009. <br />4.2 Upland Game Birds <br />4.2.1 Sharp - tailed Grouse <br />The decline of Columbian sharp - tailed grouse in Colorado has been attributed to the loss and <br />degradation of native grassland, sagebrush - grassland, and montane shrubland (mountain brush) <br />habitats (Hoffman 2001). It has been recognized that post- mining reclamation provides suitable <br />habitat for lek sites, nesting, and brood rearing. Mine reclaimed lands account for less than 4% of <br />the occupied range of sharp - tailed grouse in northwestern Colorado, yet supported 16% of the <br />active leks observed in 2007 (Yost 2007). Additionally, it has been recognized that CRP lands <br />provide suitable habitat for lek sites, nesting, and brood rearing. CRP lands account for less than <br />4% of the occupied range of sharp - tailed grouse in northwestern Colorado, yet supported 23% of <br />the active leks observed in 2007 (Yost 2007). <br />Although many biasing factors (e.g., weather conditions during surveys, the number of site visits, <br />• vegetative cover that may obscure viewing at the lek, etc.) can influence the number of individuals <br />12 <br />