Mountain Area. Cattle are grazed in the mountain area mostly after mid-June, often after grasses have set seed and growth has slowed. As in the mid-elevation area pastures, 20% to 30% of these pastures are completely rested from cattle grazing annually. Pastures are generally grazed from 2-4 weeks, depending on pasture size and time of year. Sheep grazing occurs primarily from June through August,4 again after primary vegetative growth and seed set; sheep are moved every few days to remain on fresh feed, discourage coyote (Canis latrans) predation, and provide biological control of exotic weeds. Frequent movement of sheep on the summer range simulates the pasture rotation and rest employed with cattle. Vegetation treatment on the mountain aims to intersperse early seral feeding patches for GSG late- brood, elk calf, and deer fawn rearing within shrub and aspen cover. The few portions of these areas known to be used by wintering mule deer (and occasionally winter GSG) are generally below 7,300 feet and are managed for multiple shrub species in mid to late seral conditions. Treatment methods used on the mountain include prescribed burning in subalpine fir (Abies concolor) and xxxxxxxx xxx sagebrush dominated stands, disk and planting primarily as green strips along existing roads, Xxxxxx aerator (on slopes lesser than 15%) and ‘Spike’ to thin xxxxxxxx xxx sagebrush on steeper slopes and in mixed shrub stands where bitterbrush (Purshia tridentata) co- dominates with xxxxxxxx xxx sagebrush. Monitoring suggests that areas having gravelly, well- drained soils, high coverage of green rabbit brush (Chrysothamnus viscidiflorus) or three-tip sagebrush (Artemisia tripartita) show poor herbaceous response and will not be treated in the future. These conditions occur on much of the mountain, especially on flatter, upper ridges preferred by GSG and mule deer. DLL anticipates future treatment activities and annually treated acres on the mountain will be similar to those successfully employed to the benefit of Covered Species, other wildlife and livestock production over the past 20 years. Wildlife and landscape goals require maintaining forage and cover for GSG, mule deer, elk, and livestock, which requires a healthy mix of shrubs 4 Other than the trailing of sheep through low and mid elevations to get to and from the mountain area, sheep grazing only occurs in the mountain area. and herbaceous vegetation. DLL plans to maintain shrub-steppe habitats dominated by native plant species ...
