2020-10-27_PERMIT FILE - C1981035 ‎(23)‎

• Permit No: C1981035
• IBM Index Class Name: Permit File
• Doc Date: 10/27/2020
• Section_Exhibit Name: KII Appendix 15 E.A. Dunn Ranch LBA
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

ENVIRONMENTAL ASSESSMENT
• Public Recreation —The majority of the area is private land and there is no public access to the
isolated BLM parcels in the Project Area. Private and tribal-only recreation is addressed in Section
3.4.7.
• Visual Resources — The majority of the Proposed Action would occur underground and would
meet visual resource management objectives. Proposed surface disturbance occurs on private
land where it would not be visible to the general public and no BLM visual resource management
class has been assigned.
The following resources have been eliminated from detailed analysis in this EA because the resource was
adequately analyzed in BLM and OSMRE(2017) (Section 1.1)and therefore incorporated by reference into
this EA. BLM and OSMRE concluded that no substantive changes in the affected environment or new
resource issues were identified:
• Wildlife-Information presented in the previous EA(BLM and OSMRE 2017,Section 3.8)regarding
wildlife resources in and around the Project Area has not changed and the information on aquatic
species, game species, raptors, and migratory birds that was previously described is still relevant
and applicable. Additionally, as the Proposed Action is a continuation of the action presented in
BLM and OSMRE 2017, impacts discussed in that document, are still applicable and the Proposed
Action along with the Applicant-committed design features would have negligible to minor
impacts to wildlife resources.
• Threatened, Endangered,and Sensitive Species- Information presented in the previous EA(BLM
and OSMRE 2017, Section 3.9) regarding threatened, endangered, and sensitive species in and
around the Project Area has not changed and is still relevant and applicable. There are no plant
species of concern known to occur in the surface disturbance areas of the Project Area. No
additional species have been listed by either the USFWS, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, or BLM. As
previously described,the Proposed Action would be a continuation of the action described in BLM
and OSMRE 2017 and as such, the Proposed Action would have negligible to minor impacts to
those species. Consultation with the USFWS was initiated on February 23, 2019, with a
determination that the Proposed Action would not adversely affect federally listed species. The
USFWS agreed with this determination and responded with a concurrence letter on April 29, 2019
(Appendix D).
• Socioeconomics and Environmental Justice—There has been no new additional information that
would significantly affect the socioeconomic or environmental justice conditions in the area since
the completion of the 2017 EA (BLM and OSMRE 2017). Additionally, as the Proposed Action
under review in this document is a continuation of the previous 2017 EA action, impacts
previously described would be similar over an extended period of time (BLM and OSMRE 2017,
Section 3.15.2).
• Geology and Minerals— Information on geology and minerals presented in the previous EAs has
not changed and is still applicable. Additionally, as the Proposed Action under review in this
document is a continuation of the previous 2017 action, impacts previously described would be
similar over an extended period of time (BLM and OSMRE 2017, Section 3.3).
Dunn Ranch Area Coal Lease by Application COC-78825 and Mine Plan Modification EA 3-4