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In the drainages where this community occurs, it tends to be comparatively dense. Dominant tree <br />species include Englemann spruce (Picea engelmannii), Colorado blue spruce (Picea pungens), <br />and subalpine fir (Abies lasiocarpa) at higher elevations. <br />There is one small pocket of Douglas-fir near the Deer Creek Shaft Site and a few other trees <br />found in some drainages in the project area. The Douglas-fir Vegetation Community is found, <br />primarily on steep slopes, along drainages at elevations around 7,000 feet or less. The dominant <br />tree species is Douglas-fir (Pseudotsuga menzesii). This community can occasionally form <br />broad transition zones, or ecotones, with the Spruce/Fir and Aspen communities resulting in <br />more mixed vegetation types. <br />Scattered across the project area are small pockets of Grass/Forb Vegetation Community. These <br />are associated primarily with nearly level to moderately sloping sites on a variety of aspects. <br />Similarly, elevations vary. This community occurs as small natural clearings within other <br />vegetation types, revegetated development disturbances, and heavily grazed meadows often <br />associated with developed stockponds. These are found along the Dry Fork of Minnesota Creek, <br />Deer Creek, Poison Gulch and other small areas. With the exception of rodents under the snow, <br />deep snow during the period of the studies precluded the use of this type by most wildlife. <br />Riparian Zones <br />Riparian zones occur along drainages and are characterized by comparatively narrow vegetation <br />communities. The boundaries of riparian zones are limited in width by the steep topography <br />associated with drainage systems. A variety of tree species are usually associated with some <br />riparian zones in the project area and, where occurring, the shrub component is denser than in the <br />surrounding uplands due to soil moisture conditions. <br />In most drainages, riparian habitat is limited to a narrow band along the bottom and is in poor <br />condition. Species such as willows, alders and hawthorn are not found in large stands. Along the <br />Dry Fork of Minnesota Creek many of the willow stands are dying out or are in poor condition. <br />The same is true for much of the Lick Creek drainage. Along Deep Creek riparian habitat is <br />limited and is very spotty. With the exception of the Deep Creek drainage, the limited extent and <br />poor quality of most riparian habitat in the project area, coupled with deep snow was reflected in <br />the low amount of wildlife use observed during the winter surveys. <br />OBSERVATIONS <br />The purpose of these surveys was to collect data on predators and prey in the project area. In the <br />E-Seam FEIS much of the area was identified as other potential lynx habitat. There were also <br />small areas of conifers that were identified as potential lynx denning habitat. Transects run in the <br />area from December through April were designed to cover as much of the area as possible to see <br />. if any lynx tracks were encountered. At the same time data was kept on snowshoe hare tracks, <br />other carnivore tracks and habitat type where they were observed. This was especially true for <br />coyotes as they are considered to be a potential competitor for snowshoe hares. Some think that <br />coyotes use snowmobile trails or maintained roads to access areas where they normally wouldn't <br />8