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<br />
<br />CHAPTER ONE
<br />
<br />SUMMARY OF THE PROPOSED RESOURCE MANAGEMENT PLAN
<br />
<br />This Gunnison Proposed Resource Management Plan
<br />and Final Environmental Impact Statement (PRMP)
<br />identifies and describes the future management of the
<br />lands administered by the Bureau of Land
<br />Management (BLM) in the Gunnison Planning Area
<br />and Gunnison Resource Area, in west-central
<br />Colorado for the nextlO-l2 years, The planning area
<br />encompasses a total of approximately 960,730 acres
<br />in the BLM's Montrose District, The BLM has
<br />administrative responsibility for the land and
<br />resources on 585,012 surface acres and 726,918 acres
<br />of mineral estate within the planning area,
<br />
<br />A summary of the description of the proposed plan,
<br />presented under resource or resource use headings,
<br />follows, Please refer to Chapter Four of this PRMP
<br />for the complete description of the PRMP, Table I-I
<br />in this chapter compares the management under the
<br />proposed plan and Alternatives A (Continuation of
<br />Current Management), B, C, D, and E (preferred
<br />Alternative), as presented in the March, 1991, Praft
<br />Gunnison Resource Management Plan and
<br />Environmental Impact Statement (DRMP).
<br />
<br />The PRMP is an abbreviated document, in that the
<br />entire DRMP is not reprinted in this document. The
<br />DRMP may bave to be referred to during review of
<br />this document.
<br />
<br />NARRATIVE SUMMARY
<br />
<br />Air Quality. Existing air quality would be
<br />maintained, Activities and projects would comply
<br />with all air quality regulations,
<br />
<br />Oil, Gas, and Geothermal Resources.
<br />Approximately 623,416 acres of federal oil, gas, and
<br />geothermal estate would be open to leasing with
<br />standard terms; about 26,205 acres would be open to
<br />leasing with yearlong, no surface occupancy
<br />stipulations; about 13,166 acres would be open to
<br />leasing with controlled surface use stipulations; and
<br />about 11,823 acres would be open to leasing with
<br />seasonal stipulations, About 46,007 acres in the
<br />Powderhorn Primitive Area SRMA would be closed
<br />to oil and gas exploration, development, and leasing,
<br />
<br />Locatable Minerals. Approximately 672,891 acres
<br />of Federal mineral estate would be open to mineral
<br />entry and location, About 54,047 acres would be
<br />withdrawn from mineral entry and location, including
<br />lands within the Alpine Loop National Backcounlry
<br />Byway, Red Bridge and The Gate campgrounds,
<br />Powderhom Primitive Area Special Recreation
<br />Management Area (SRMA) and Cochetopa Canyon
<br />SRMA, the recommended Slumgullion Eartbflow
<br />National Natural Landmark, the American Basin, and
<br />the Dillon Pinnacles Areas of Critical Environmental
<br />Concern (ACECs), isolated parcels along Cebolla
<br />Creek, plus BLM and other agencies' miscellaneous
<br />withdrawals,
<br />
<br />Saleable Minerals. Disposal of mineral materials
<br />would be authorized on 505,900 acres of public land
<br />with federal mineral estate, Disposal on 173,221 of
<br />these acres would be subject to seasonal restrictions.
<br />Disposal on lands within other agency withdrawals
<br />would require approval of these agencies, Disposal
<br />would not be authorized on 61,855 acres,
<br />
<br />Soil and Water Resources. Soil and water resources
<br />would continue to be monitored to define problem
<br />areas, and to determine effectiveness of solutions,
<br />Measures to reduce erosion and increase plant basal
<br />cover on soils with modenlte to severe erosion
<br />potential would be designed and incorporated into
<br />vegetation or land treatment plans. Best management
<br />practices, and other measures designed to reduce soil
<br />erosion and waler quality deterioration would be
<br />required in all plans involving surface disturbance,
<br />Water rights would be applied for where appropriate.
<br />All actions under the proposed plan would comply
<br />with federal and state water quality standards and
<br />regulations, New water source developments would
<br />consider riparian values, and existing water source
<br />developments would be maintained, improved, or
<br />reclaimed,
<br />
<br />Implementation and intensive management of Long
<br />Gulcb Sediment Control and Riparian Habitat
<br />Improvement Plan, and other such plans, would
<br />continue, About 320 acres in the Wildcat Creek
<br />drainage would continue to be managed to maintain
<br />
<br />I-I
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