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<br />
<br />TABLE 2
<br />
<br />ACRES A V AILABLE FOR FURTHER
<br />CONSIDERATION FOR COAL LEASING
<br />(excluding overlaps)*
<br />
<br />Screens
<br />
<br />Resulls
<br />
<br />Coal Development POlential
<br />
<br />Unsuitabilty Review
<br />Acreage Remaining
<br />
<br />Surface Owner Consultation
<br />Acreage Remaining
<br />
<br />Multiple Use Tradeoffs
<br />Recreation
<br />Acreage Remaining
<br />
<br />638,758
<br />(.104,261)
<br />534,497
<br />( ~8,808)
<br />465,689
<br />
<br />(-8,600)
<br />457,089
<br />
<br />Total Acres Available
<br />Surface/Underground Methods
<br />
<br />457.089
<br />
<br />Total Acres Available
<br />Underground Methods Only
<br />(No Surface Disturbanct)
<br />
<br />181,669
<br />
<br />Total Coal Tnnnage Available
<br />
<br />5,5 billion
<br />
<br />. In some portions of the coal planning area, more tban
<br />one screen was found to apply; e.g., portions of the
<br />Little Yampa Canyon SRMA were eliminated as tbe
<br />result of both unsuitability criteria and multiple-use
<br />tradeoffs, Acreage for sucb areas was only subtracted
<br />once from the total coal planning area acreage,
<br />
<br />Oil and Gas (Issue 1-2)
<br />
<br />1. The resource area would generally be available for oil
<br />and gas leasing, Areas bave been designated for leasing
<br />with standard stipulatinns, seasonal restrictions,
<br />avoidance stipulations, performance objectives, or no-
<br />surface-occupancy stipulations; areas wbere no new
<br />leasing would be allowed have also been identified
<br />(see Table 3), Stipulations or restrictions may be waived
<br />or reduced in scope if circumstances cbange, or if the
<br />lessee can demonstrate that operations can be conducted
<br />without causing unacceptable impacts to the concern(s)
<br />identified. The appropriateness of allowing specific
<br />stipulations to be waived will be further analyzed in
<br />the oil and gas activity plan discussed in nem 2 below,
<br />
<br />2. After completion of the Little Snake RMP, an oil and
<br />gas activity plan will be developed for the Lillie Snake
<br />Resource Area to further refine the degree to which
<br />
<br />PROPOSED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
<br />
<br />oil and gas development will be allowed on lands open
<br />to leasing. This activity plan will assess the levels of
<br />direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts resulting from
<br />a reasonable, foreseeable level of oil and gas
<br />development in tbe resource area, The activity plan
<br />will, in part, identify any additional necessary and
<br />justifiable mitigative measures to reduce or eliminate
<br />unacceptable adverse environmental impacts. as well
<br />as tbose less restrictive methodologies that would result
<br />in tbe same desired effect. The plan will also identify
<br />any change to oil and gas leasing decisions made in
<br />the lillIe Snake RMP that may be warranted,
<br />
<br />At a minimum, the oil and gas activity plan will address
<br />the primary. secondary. and cumulative impacts of at
<br />least one reasonable, foreseeable level of oil and gas
<br />development in the Little Snake Resource Area, The
<br />level of development will be based on resource potential
<br />(see the enclosed oil and gas map) and historical oil
<br />and gas activity in the area, The analysis of impacts
<br />will be based on assumptions, such as tbe number of
<br />wells expected to be drilled in the resource area over
<br />the 20-year life of tbe LillIe Snake RMP, tbe varying
<br />density of those wells, typical surface disturbance in
<br />acres resulting from oil and gas activity, reclamation
<br />potential, the number of acres in a disturbed condition
<br />in a typical year. and the total number of acres disturbed
<br />during the 20-year period of the Little Snake RMP,
<br />
<br />Until this activity plan is approved, the Little Snake
<br />oil and gas umbrella EA will continue to be the National
<br />Environmental Policy Act compliance document for
<br />oil and gas leasing in the resource area. The oil and
<br />gas activity plan should be completed by early 1987,
<br />
<br />Other Minerals (Issue 1-3)
<br />
<br />1. All public land would be open to locatable mineral
<br />entry and development unless withdrawn (administra-
<br />tive withdrawals) or proposed for withdrawal
<br />(proposed wilderness designation), Mineral exploration
<br />and development on public land would be regulated
<br />under 43 CFR 3800,
<br />
<br />2. Applications for removing common variety mineral
<br />materials, including sand and gravel, would continue
<br />to be processed on a case-by-<:ase basis. Stipulations
<br />to protect important surface values would be attached,
<br />based on interdisciplinary review of each proposal.
<br />Mineral material sales would not be allowed in
<br />Limestone Ridge ACEC/RNA, LillIe Yampa/Juniper
<br />Canyon SRMA, and the Cedar Mountain recreation
<br />management priority area,
<br />
<br />1-3
<br />
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