WSP10967 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CHAPTER II paleontological resource management plan will be developed for the Sand Wash Basin within the next five years. MANAGEMENT ACTIONS This section describes the management direction for each of the major programs in the resource area. While the direction varies from activity to activity, overall objectives, planned actions, resource conditions and rationale, implementation priorities, monitoring, and support needs are listed for each activity. Coal Objectives . Maximize the availability of the federal coal estate for exploration and development. . Facilitate orderly, economic, and environmentally-sound exploration and development of the coal resource within the principles of balanced multiple-use management. Planned Actions I. Approximately 638,800 acres (containing an estimated 5.8 billion tons of coal) are acceptable for further consideration for federal coal leasing. Of this total, approximately 457,089 acres (an estimated 4.2 billion tons of coal) are acceptable for funher consideration for leasing for surface or underground development. Approximately 181,669 acres (an estimated I.3 billion tons of coal) are acceptable for further consideration for leasing for underground development only (see Tables I and 2). Approximately 266 million tons of coal throughout the region are not available for surface mining. 2. Site-specific activity planning, including additional environmental analysis, is needed before a decision to lease specific tracts can be made. 3. Exploratory drilling will be allowed in order to obtain sufficient data for resource management decisions and fair market value detenninations. 4. Other data gathering efforts will be scheduled when needed to ensure data adequacy standards will be met for activity planning within the coal planning area. Resource Condition and Rationale The application of the coal unsuitability criteria (43 CFR 346/) and the land-use planning process (which compared other resource values to lands with coal development potential) have identified lands where coal can be considered for future development. Lands available for further consideration will be assessed during development of coal activity plans or in response to requests for coal leasing. (See Appendix 2.) These lands are large enough to consider alternative locations for specific leasing proposals when demand arises. Implementation Priorities Lands found acceptable in this RMP are available for further consideration for leasing andlor exchange. However, all lands determined to be suitable, unsuitable, or unacceptable for further consideration for leasing andlor exchange may be reviewed and suitability detenninations modified based on new data during activity planning efforts. Priority will be given to emergency coal lease applications needed to continue operations of existing coal mines and to public demand for leasing exploration. Monitoring Inactive coal leases will be inspected once annually to assure their inactive status. Mining operations of active federal coal leases will be inspected quarterly by BLM. Mining operations are also inspected regularly by the Office of Surface Mining, Colorado Mined Land Reclamation Division, and the Mining Safety and Health Administration. Support Other resource specialists will be used to assess impacts of proposed leases and to identify mitigaton, if needed. Cadastral survey will locate public land boundaries. Oil and Gas Objectives . Maximize the availability of the federal oil and gas estate for exploration and development. . Facilitate orderly, economic, and environmentally..ound exploration and development of oil and gas resources using balanced multiple-use management. 6