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�P USDA United States Forest South Park Ranger District 320 Highway 285 <br /> �. Department of Service Fairplay,CO 80440 <br /> Agriculture 719-836-2031 <br /> FAX: 719-836-3875 <br /> ,.A t. <br /> File Code: 2810 <br /> JUL 0 8 2016 Date: July 7, 2016 <br /> DIVISION OF RECLAMATION <br /> MINING AND SAFETY Al —2 013 —0 �4O <br /> Dear Interested Party, <br /> I am writing to advise you that the South Park Ranger District of the Pike National Forest is <br /> considering a request by Rich Fretterd and Jean Cowman for approval of a mining Plan of <br /> Operations (MPO) to implement mining activities on National Forest System (NFS) lands near <br /> Lake George. The proposed project is on the Ace-In-The-Hole, Godsend and Richard Cowman <br /> unpatented mining claims in Teller County, Colorado, located appro`xtmMely 4 miles northeast of <br /> Lake George(Exhibit A). <br /> NEPA REVIEW <br /> As part of our National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA)review of the project, I am providing <br /> you with a summary description of the proposed activities. Information on how and when to <br /> comment is provided below. <br /> My preliminary assessment of this project is that it meets the criteria of a Forest Service (FS) <br /> categorical exclusion (CE)that applies to a group of similar actions that, in general,do not <br /> individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment. <br /> The potential CE category is listed in 36 CFR 220.6 (e)(3) as "approval, modification, or <br /> continuation of minor special uses of NFS lands that require less than five contiguous acres of <br /> land. " If the NEPA review finds that there are no extraordinary circumstances that would result <br /> in adverse effects on Forest resources,this proposal may be categorically excluded from further <br /> NEPA review and documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental <br /> assessment. If the proponent proposes to expand operations or deviate from the proposed MPO, <br /> the impacts of such actions would be evaluated in a future NEPA review. <br /> PROPOSED ACTION <br /> The Fretterd MPO is under consideration for approval because the Forest Service is obligated to <br /> process, administer, and manage mining operations conducted on NFS lands under the <br /> authorities of laws and regulations that confer on the public statutory right to go upon and use <br /> open public domain land. Forest Service regulations at 36 CFR 228 Subpart A—Locatable <br /> Minerals set forth rules and procedures for management of mining-related activity on NFS land <br /> to minimize adverse environmental impacts on surface resources. <br /> The Forest proposes to approve the following mining activities described in the MPO. <br /> Depending on the findings of the NEPA review, the Forest may require the proponent to agree to <br /> additional terms and conditions for resource protection that would supplement the MPO. <br /> Access to Project Area <br /> Caring for the land and Serving People ,anted m Re"cled Paper <br />