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Bureau of Land Management Environmental Assessment <br /> Royal Gorge Field Office DOI-BLM-CO-F020-2019-0056 EA <br /> and processing and material storage areas. The area has very little vegetation and primarily a <br /> pinion juniper landscape. The proposed quarry would be located at the base of a ridge and should <br /> not be visible from Hwy 69. The entrance and access road would be constructed along the main <br /> drainage as to avoid the historic railroad bed trending parallel with the highway. Mining would <br /> commence in 2 phases with progression trending from south to north with a 25-foot buffer along <br /> the western boundary to prevent any disturbance to cultural resources. <br /> Geologically,the site material consists predominately of Precambrian metamorphosed granite <br /> (migmatic gneiss; Pike's Peak Granite)with several outcrops of Holocene clay bordering the <br /> south end of the project area. Approximately 40,000 short tons per year would be produced from <br /> a 2:1 (Horizontal:Vertical; H:V)working highwall with a maximum mining depth of 35 feet. The <br /> quarry would allow for about 900,000 short tons (400,000 yd) of aggregate reserves to be used <br /> primarily as roadbase and for other construction-based projects. Since the proposed mine is <br /> located within central Fremont County, then a centralized aggregate resource would be available <br /> to surrounding rural areas and municipalities. <br /> 1.3. PURPOSE AND NEED <br /> 1.3.1. BLM Statutory Authority <br /> The purpose of this NEPA action is to respond to a request by Mountain Valley Excavating <br /> regarding a mineral materials competitive contract to provide roadbase and other construction <br /> type materials to rural municipalities within the surrounding counties. <br /> The need is based on BLMs multiple-use mission, set forth in the Federal Land Policy and <br /> Management Act of 1976, which mandates that we manage public land resources for a variety of <br /> uses. These uses include mining, and more specifically in this case, the development of mineral <br /> materials. <br /> Per 30 USC Section 1602 (01/03/2012),the Congress declares that it is the continuing policy of <br /> the United States to promote an adequate and stable supply of materials necessary to maintain <br /> national security, economic well-being and industrial production with appropriate attention to a <br /> long-term balance between resource production, energy use, a healthy environment,natural <br /> resources conservation, and social needs. The Congress further declares that implementation of <br /> this policy requires that the President shall, through the Executive Office of the President, <br /> coordinate the responsible departments and agencies to, among other measures: (1) identify <br /> materials needs and assist in the pursuit of measures that would assure the availability of <br /> materials critical to commerce,the economy, and national security and(2) encourage Federal <br /> agencies to facilitate availability and development of domestic resources to meet critical <br /> materials needs. <br /> 4 <br />