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4.6 WILDLIFE MITIGATION <br /> Mining and reclamation activities will unavoidably have varying degrees of short <br /> term effects on all wildlife that use the proposed permit and mine plan area. <br /> Physical displacement, traumatic death, loss of food, loss of cover, and retreat <br /> from noise and activity will all directly result to some extent from continued <br /> mining activities. Indirect results from increased human populations with the <br /> accompanying increase in traffic volumes, recreational use of rural areas and <br /> residential development will also be detrimental to wildlife. <br /> Another and more complex effect will result from changes in habitat. For exam- <br /> ple, following perennial seeding, young and early successional vegetation will <br /> provide somewhat different niches for wildlife to exploit. These changes will <br /> promote shifts in wildlife species composition. These changes are expected to <br /> gradually reverse and the premine species composition to reestablish as vegeta- <br /> tion communities mature. <br /> The most important mitigation measure for wildlife will be the achievement of <br /> successful reclamation of the affected areas. Wildlife are opportunists that <br /> will readily repopulate available suitable habitat. Therefore, although indivi- <br /> dual animals may be lost or displaced as habitat is temporarily destroyed during <br /> mining, they should rapidly repopulate if appropriate food and cover are reestab- <br /> lished. Thus the major emphasis of the wildlife mitigation program will be the <br /> reestablishment of appropriate and suitable food and cover on reclaimed areas and <br /> all actions taken should ultimately protect and accomplish this purpose. <br /> While certain temporary mitigative measures may help limit the extent of impact <br /> to members of certain species, these measures will in the long run have little if <br /> any effect on populations, species composition, or use of the area. For example, <br /> an imposed speed limit of 10 miles per hour in the proposed permit area might <br /> prevent 20 rabbits a year from being killed by vehicles. However, when mining <br /> 4-147 <br />