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CONSERVATION GROUPS’ COMMENTS <br />UNCOMPAHGRE FIELD OFFICE RMP AND DEIS <br />18 <br />Draft EIS at 1-2. This purpose does not take fossil fuel leasing and development in the planning <br />area as a foregone conclusion. Rather, the central purpose is to “provide broad-scale direction” in <br />light of “current resource conditions, changes in circumstances… and new or revised national- <br />level policy.” See New Mexico ex rel. Richardson, 565 F.3d at 710-11. <br />B. BLM Fails to Consider a Range of Reasonable Alternatives. <br /> <br />By these measures, BLM’s range of alternatives fails to satisfy its statutory obligation <br />under FLPMA, as well as the purpose and need of the RMP. All of the draft EIS alternatives <br />propose to leave available extensive lands for fossil fuel leasing and development. See Summary <br />of Alternatives, below. Critically, although acreage may reflect subtle differences between <br />alternatives, there is virtually no change in the foreseeable range of coal, oil and gas leasing and <br />development, or in greenhouse gas emission rates across alternatives. In fact, each alternative <br />shows an increase in direct greenhouse gas emissions over base year emissions of between 10 <br />and 12 percent, ranging from 3.08 to 3.13 MMTCO2e annually. In other words, any difference in <br />BLM’s range of alternatives is mere window-dressing for an RMP aimed at leaving all <br />foreseeable fossil fuel resources fully available to exploitation. In effect, the agency’s <br />alternatives analysis becomes little more than an exercise of form over substance. <br /> <br />Summary of Alternatives <br /> <br />Resource Alt. A Alt. B Alt. B.1 Alt. C Alt. D* <br />Estimated Annual <br />Direct GHG <br />Emissions <br />(MMTCO2e)58 <br /> <br />3.08 <br /> <br />3.09 <br /> <br />3.06 <br /> <br />3.13 <br /> <br />3.11 <br />Direct Annual <br />CO2 Emissions <br />(Tons per year) <br />(Base 81,978)59 <br /> <br />256,212 <br /> <br />258,174 <br /> <br />247,280 <br /> <br />283,901 <br /> <br />273,027 <br />Direct Annual <br />CH4 Emissions <br />(Tons per year) <br />(Base 128,840)60 <br /> <br />134,569 <br />(20 yr. GWP <br />= 11.7 <br />MMTCO2e) <br /> <br />134,475 <br />(20 yr. GWP <br />= 11.7 <br />MMTCO2e) <br /> <br />133,955 <br />(20 yr. GWP <br />=11.7 <br />MMTCO2e) <br /> <br />135,609 <br />(20 yr. GWP <br /> = 11.8 <br />MMTCO2e) <br /> <br />135,082 <br />(20 yr. GWP <br />= 11.8 <br />MMTCO2e) <br />Total Annual <br />GHG Emissions <br />Increase <br />(Base year 2.79)61 <br /> <br />10% <br /> <br />10% <br /> <br />10% <br /> <br />12% <br /> <br />11% <br />Maximum Annual <br />Indirect GHG <br /> <br />27.1 <br /> <br />27.1 <br /> <br />27.1 <br /> <br />27.1 <br /> <br />27.1 <br /> <br />58 Uncompahgre RMP Draft EIS at 4-38, Table 4-9 59 Id. 60 Id. 61 See Id.