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,"'~~'~I _ j '.' ,-,:.. 't applicants to plan for and design projects without the need to investigate and analyze alternate routes. Designation of 54,024 acres and 161,283 acres as rights-of-way exclusion and avoidance areas would respectively result in additional costs to utility companies in planning, designing, and constructing facilities around these areas. Seasonal restrictions on rights-of-way related construction could increase proponents' costs. CUMULATIVE IMPACTS ON RIGHTS-OF-WAY AND RIGHTS-OF-WAY CORRIDORS Designating 215,307 acres of public land as either rights-of-way exclusion or avoidance areas, and restricting rights-of-way related construction on 134,970 acres seasonally would increase the cost of these projects. Designating an east-west corridor would decrease the cost of those projects which would be authorized in the corridor. SHORT-TERM USE VS LONG-TERM PRODUCTIVITY Trade-offs between short-term uses and long-term productivity of resources have been identified. For this analysis, short-term refers to the period of implementation of this plan which is approximately 10 years, and long-term refers to at least a W-year period or beyond, during which the adverse or beneficial impacts of the proposal would still occur. MINERAL RESOURCES Locatable mineral development would be constrained by withdrawals, resulting in a long-term loss or delay in mineral production on effected lands. SOIL AND WATER RESOURCES Mineral development would potentially result in some increases in long-term erosion and sediment yields and possibly some decrease in the quality of surface waters from mine discharge and spoil pile runoff. Some loss in soil productivity would be expected in areas where surface disturbing activities are proposed. Riparian zones proposed for intensive management ALTERNATIVE B IMPACTS from a variety of resource programs would experience improved soil and water resource conditions. The loss of soil through wind and water erosion would be irretrievable. RIPARIAN RESOURCES Implementing lGMCs and changes in livestock grazing forage utilization and other resource management would result in long-term improvement in riparian vegetation conditions. LIVESTOCK GRAZING Restrictions on livestock grazing administration, treatment development, total forage utilization on uplands and in riparian zones and eliminations or reductions in livestock forage allocations would reduce carrying capacities but would result in long- term forage productivity gains. WILDLIFE HABITAT Big game, upland bird, and non-game habitat would be improved under this alternative. Colorado Division of Wildlife long-term herd goals for elk and deer on public lands would be achieved. A marked improvement in fishery streams and increases in fish and other restrictions in riparian areas would be realized primarily due to the reduction of livestock forage utilization in riparian areas. IRREVERSIBLE OR IRRETRIEVABLE COMMITMENTS OF RESOURCES Irreversible or irretrievable commitments of resources occur when a wide range of future management options are precluded. This section identifies the extent to which the alternatives would irreversibly limit potential resource uses. The individual alternative impacts sections identify those decisions which apply to a particular alternative and the magnitude of the impact. MINERAL RESOURCES Once a particular area has been committed to a single, non-mineral use, it is not likely that the use 4-27