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The Forest Service (FS) will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental and human effects of underground coal mining within the Dry Fork Lease-by-Application area, and to identify terms and conditions needed to protect non-mineral resources consistent with the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison (GMUG) National Forests Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). ArkLand Company of St. Louis, MO submitted a competitive coal lease-by-application (LBA) to the BLM--Colorado State office for about 1,517 acres of federal coal reserves. Named the Dry Fork LBA tract (Dry Fork tract), the application is for lands generally located in Sections 35 and 36, T 13 S, R 90 W; and Sections 1, 2, 11 and 12, T 14 S, R 90W, 6th PM, in Gunnison County, about 4 miles southeast of Somerset, Colorado. The land surface is National Forest System lands administered by the GMUG, and the mineral estate is administered by the BLM. The FS and cooperating agencies will conduct the environmental analysis considering the most likely mining scenarios and reasonably foreseeable alternatives. Under the requirements of the Mineral Leasing Act, as amended by the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act, the FS will identify terms and conditions for the protection of non-mineral resources. This would allow identification of the measures required for minimizing effects to non-mineral resources consistent with the Forest Plan, and provide a basis for a reasonable estimate of the tract's recoverable coal reserves. The proposed action is to consider the lands in the tract for leasing by competitive bid and subsequent mining by underground methods; identify terms and conditions necessary for the protection of non-mineral resources; and to concur to any subsequent mining and reclamation plan(s). The EIS process for this project will include preparation of a reasonably foreseeable mining scenario for the Dry Fork tract that will be used as the basis for determining effects. The most likely access to the coal reserves would be through the existing West Elk Mine. Mining would be entirely underground, using predominantly longwall methods. Surface disturbance during the life of the lease will likely include several exploration drill holes and methane drainage wells, with associated road construction. The disturbed areas would be reclaimed when no longer needed. Land subsidence similar to that experienced over other areas mined with underground methods in the adjacent and surrounding areas is expected. The Forest Service is seeking information and comments from Federal, State, and local agencies as well as individuals and organizations who may be interested in, or affected by, the proposed action. The agency invites written comments and suggestions on the issues related to the proposed action and the area being analyzed. Information received will be used to prepare the Draft and Final EIS and to make the agency decision.
Knowledge graph centered on Grand Mesa-Uncompahgre-Gunnison National Forests; with 53 nodes and 52 connections. Top connected: United States Department of the Interior, USDA Forest Service (Uncompahgre National Forest), United States Environmental Protection Agency (USEPA), U.S. Forest Service (Taylor River District), Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG).
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