contained a high number of mortalities, while mortalities in the 

 remaining segments were scattered and depended upon deer densities 

 resulting from snow accumulation patterns. 



Logging of a large portion of the crucial winter range along 

 the Fisher River and Wolf Creek drainages has further reduced the 

 amount of suitable habitat available to support white-tailed deer 

 during periods of severe winter weather. The majority of the area 

 along these two drainages is owned by the St. Regis Paper Company, 

 with smaller holdings belonging to Burlington Northern and the U.S. 

 Forest Service. Because of the predominant private ownership, the 

 main consideraticn in land use is timber harvest/production, which 

 conflicts with managing habitat for the benefit of deer winter 

 range. This reduction of available wintering habitat has further 

 crowded the winter range and reduced its overall carrying capacity. 

 As the cleircut areas are retimbered, they will support a number of 

 wintering deer; however, since they will be large, even-aged 

 stands, they will not support the number of white-tailed deer that 

 an uneven age stand of various serai stages would support (Mackie 

 et al. 1980). 



To date, the advancement of plant succession has had the 

 least detrimental effect of the major impacts. Douglas-fir com- 

 munities are slowly occupying more of the winter range, and in- 

 creasing the acreage containing a closed canopy with a reduced 

 production of ujiderstory browse. The reduction in available 

 browse has a detrimental effect on tine wintering deer herd by 

 reducing the total amount of available forage. Browse has been 

 shown to be the primary food of wintering deer within the impact 

 area (Bergeson 1942, Campbell 1972, Firebaugh et al. 1975). The 

 additional canopy does provide necessary thermal cover if coiiiuined 

 properly with other habitat and topographic requirements. 



The combination of these impacts on the white-tailed deer 

 population inhabiting the Fisher River and Kootenai River drainages 

 has produced a significant loss of crucial winter habitat. In 

 order to address the measures necessary to mitigate these impacts, 

 the need to determine the interaction of all of the impacts will be 

 necessary. 



5) Estimated Losses Due To The Project 



- Total losses (12,027 acres of winter range); 1,467-2,221 

 white-tailed deer. These losses represent a reduction in 

 the ability of the crucial winter ranges to support thie 

 estLtvated number of white-tailed deer. 



- Losses due to inundation of the impoundment area 

 (11,000 acres of winter range); 1,364-2,046 white- 

 tailed deer. 



- Losses due to construction of Highv^ay 37 (302 acres of 

 winter range) ; 37-56 white-tailed deer. 



21 



