WSP05313

• File Number: 8200.766
• Description: Gunnison River General
• State: CO
• Basin: Gunnison
• Water Division: 4
• Date: 3/1/1991
• Author: BLM
• Title: Gunnison Resource Area - Resource Management Plan and Environmental Impact Statement - Draft - Beginning to Chapter 3
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

CHAPTER ONE

development within the adjacent planning area is
insignificant.

SPLIT ESTATE LANDS IN THE GUNNISON
RESOURCE AREA LOCATED OUTSIDE THE
PLANNING AREA - Split-estate lands in the
Resource Area, that is, Federal mineral estate, under
non-federal surface located outside the planning area
boundary totalling 17,222 acres wo"!d be adminis~e~ed
according to current laws, reguJalJons, and poli~es.
These lands are within the boundary of the Gunmson
National Forest (USPS) and the BLM's Gunnison
Resource Area, but are outside the planning area.
This federal mineral estate will have leasing decisions
made in the revision or update of the appropriate
USPS Land and Resource Management Plan/EIS.
The BLM also provides the USPS with oil and gas
expertise for these lands, including projections of
future oil and gas activity, and impact analysis of
subsurface construction. The USPS plan revision or
update will analyze impacts on these split-estate lands
from oil and gas leasing and development, and
describe where leasing will or will not occur, and what
mitigation would be specified as a result of spe~c
impact analysis on these lands. ~he ~umulalJve
impacts on these lands from potenl1al oil and gas
leasing and activity occurring on adjacent BLM-
managed lands in the Planning Area would be
insignificant.

On-site inspection and consultation with the surface
owner and operator may reveal that (1) the impacts
addressed by the stipulation would be avoided or
mitigated to an acceptable leve~or (2) the resources
of concern are not present. Upon either of these
determinations by the BLM Authorized Officer, the
stipulations could be applied, waived, modified, or
excepted without public notice other than that
provided for the APD. If, after on-site inspection and
consultation with the non-federal surface landowner,
it is determined by the Authorized Officer that
conditions necessary to avoid impacts to non-federal
resources would adversely impact the public resources
addressed by these stipulations, the impacts would be
assessed. If, based upon such assessment, the
Authorized Officer makes a decision to substantially
change or waive one or more stipulations, a 30-day
public review period would be provided in addition to
the public notice period for receipt of the APD (these
two 30-day notice and review periods may overlap).

Impacts from leasing, exploration, and drilling on
these split-estate lands are not expected to be
significantly different than on similar federal surface
overlying federal oil and gas ~state.

RELATIONSHIP TO OTHER PLANNING
DOCUMENTS

EXISTING BLM PLANNING AND
ENVlRONMEtfTAL DOCUMENTS

There are currently two land use management plans,
called Management Framework Plans (MFPs),
covering public lands in the Gunnison Pl~g Are~:
The American F1ats/Silverton and tbe Gunmson Basm
MFPs (see Table 1-4). These MFPs provide decisions
and direction for most activities and resources that
BLM manages. The objectives, decisions, and
direction in these MFPs and their existing
amendments are incorporated into Alternative A
(Continuation of Existing Management) of this
RMPIEIS.

In addition to the MFPs, several major BLM EAs and
EISs for various program activities in the planning
area have been completed. These documents are
listed in Table 1-4, and tbe directions in these
documents are also incorporated into Alternative A of
this RMPIEIS.

When completed, the ROD/RMP will replace cxisting
MFPs and may alter decisions or directions contained
in existing BLM EISs, BAs, or resource program
activity plans.

MANAGEMEtfT SmJATION ANALYSIS

The Management Situation Analysis (MSA), which is
available at the Gunnison Resource Area, Montrose
District, or Colorado State Offices was prepared by
the interdisciplinary team and consists of three parts:
the Resource Area Prof1le (RAP), the Existing
Management Situation (EMS), and the Reso~rce
Capability Analysis (RCA). The MSA su~arJZes
existing inventory data for most resources m the
planning area (RAP), describes existing management
of the resources (EMS), and details three levels of
management for each resource (RCA). The MSA

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