WSP05115

• File Number: 8200.766
• Description: Gunnison River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 8/12/1987
• Author: DOI-BLM
• Title: Gunnison Basin and the American Flats-Silverton Wilderness - Final Environmental Impact Statement
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

Alternatives Including the Proposed Action

on the limited amount of information
known. A favorable economic and
technologic environment would have to exist
before any actual development would occur.

In the Redcloud Peak, Handies Peak and
American Flats WSAs, there is an extensive
amount of existing mining claims,
particularly in those areas with high
potential for discovery. The validity of
these claims is unknown at this time and
would only be detennined when a plan for
development is submitted to BlM. However,
it is assumed that given the large number
of cl aims and the high potential s of the
areas for di scovery, that a certai n number
of these claims would ultimately be found
to have valid existing rights. Except as
specifically identified in the following
discussions, these valid claims are
predicted to be sufficient to allow for the
same levels of mineral development with or
without wilderness designation.

Within the Redcloud Peak WSA, alternatives
address the development of an alunite
deposit located in the eastern portion of
the WSA on Red Mountain. Assumptions have
been made regarding whether or not the
deposit would be developed under each
alternative. At this point there is no way
of knowing if development will or will not
take place. A discussion of the history of
this development is necessary in order to
understand the potential for any activity
taking place.

Earth Science, Inc. applied for a
preference right lease of 1,667 acres of
public land for the purpose of developing a
deposit of alunite (potassium aluminum
sulfatel. Authorization to prospect for
leasable minerals is granted through the
issuance of a prospecting pennit. If a
deposit of a valuable mineral is discovered
as a result of prospecting, and if the land
is chiefly valuable for that mineral, a

14

Redcloud Peak

lease shall be issued to the applicant.
Earth Science, Inc. originally applied for
a prospecting pennit in 1970 and it was
issued in 1974. Exploration drill ing
comprised of three drill holes varying in
depth from 306 feet to 688 feet, was
completed in 1978. In March of 1979, Earth
Science, Inc. submitted the "Initial
Showing" for a preference right lease
appl icatlon.

A condition in the prospecting permit
issued to Earth Science stipulated that
unless the deposit could be mined without
significant adverse environmental effects,
no lease would be issued.

During preparation of the environmental
assessment to analyze impacts of the
alunite proposal the Congress placed a
prohibition on the processing of all leases
within wilderness study areas.
Consequently the EA and decision on whether
or not to issue a lease has been put on
hol d. Therefore it has become necessary to
speculate on the likelihood of development
for the purposes of the analysis in this
EIS.

Uncertainties related to the potential
development of the alunite include making
the decision discussed above; specifically
whether it can be mined without significant
adverse effects. If it is detennined that
it can be and a lease is issued, the
company must also submit a "Final Showing"
that documents that the alunite can be
economically extracted. There is no
indication at this time that this condition
could be met.

If all the conditions in the leasing
process are met there would be a valid
existing right that would allow development
even with wilderness designation.

Given the above there is no way to state
with certainty that the deposit would or