2020-10-27_PERMIT FILE - C1981035 (20)

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Biological Assessment Federal Coal Lease Modification(COC-62920)and Federal Mine Permit(CO-0106A)Revision and Renewal 4. Environmental Baseline This section describes the environmental setting and environmental conditions within the AA. The environmental baseline discussion presents the physical and biological characteristics of habitats in the AA both generally and as they pertain to species or life stages of species potentially affected by the Proposed Action. This section also describes the history of disturbance to these habitats, what actions or developments have previously occurred, and the relevance of the resulting environmental conditions on the status of listed species in the AA. Because this BA is focused on the indirect impacts of coal combustion at consistent and known localities in New Mexico and Colorado that are distant from the King II Mine, the environmental baseline characterizes air quality, climate, and water quality conditions as they relate to potentially affected aquatic species. Where possible, the environmental baseline includes the past and present effects of all federal, state, or private actions and other human activities in the AA, and the anticipated effects of all proposed federal projects in the AA. Environmental baselines affecting the subject species evaluated in this BA are also included the species assessment, recovery plans and 5-year status reviews completed for each species. These documents are available for each species on the USFWS Environmental Conservation Online System at: https:Hecos.fws.gov/ecp//. 4.1 Habitat Conditions in the Vicinity of the King II Mine The physical and biological characteristics of habitats in the vicinity of the King II Mine are described in detail in the EA for which this BA is appended. 4.2 Air Quality and Climate Over the last 30 years, the temperatures have increased by approximately 2 degrees Fahrenheit (°F)in Colorado. Climate models project Colorado will warm by 2.5°F to 5°F by 2050, relative to the 1971-2000 baseline. Summers are projected to warm more than winters. From observed climate trends in Colorado, no consistent long-term trends in annual precipitation have been detected. Projections show a decline in snowpack at lower elevations (below 8,200 feet) across the West by the middle of the twenty-first century. Several studies suggest that shifts in timing and intensity of stream flows are related to warming spring temperatures. The timing of runoff in Colorado river basins has shifted 1 to 4 weeks earlier in the spring (Lukas et al. 2014). According to Lukas et al. (2014), climate change may have wide-ranging effects on water resources in the AA including the following: ■ Increases in evapotranspiration by plants, lower soil moisture, and altered growing seasons may increase water demand. July 2017 12