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CHAPTER 1 <br /> 1.0 INTRODUCTION <br /> 1.1 Background <br /> The Bureau of Land Management(BLM), Tres Rios Field Office(TRFO) is considering an <br /> application from Dolores County Road and Bridge(DCRB)to enter into a Contract for the Free <br /> Use of Mineral Materials (Contract) at the existing Disappointment Pit, located northeast of Joe <br /> Davis Hill in San Miguel County, Colorado(Figure 1). This Contract would allow DCRB to <br /> expand the pit for sand and gravel mining operations to continue to supply materials needed for <br /> construction in the surrounding communities. <br /> This environmental assessment(EA)has been prepared to disclose and analyze the <br /> environmental consequences of the proposed mineral materials contract and the associated <br /> material pit expansion. This analysis provides information as required by the BLM <br /> implementing regulations for the National Environmental Policy Act(NEPA) and the Federal <br /> Land Policy and Management Act(FLPMA)to determine whether to authorize this action. This <br /> EA also serves as a tool to help the authorized officer make an informed decision that is in <br /> conformance with the Tres Rios Field Office Resource Management Plan(RMP)(BLM 2015a). <br /> The Disappointment Valley Gravel Pit is currently operated by Dolores County Road& Bridge. <br /> The pit was established in 1980 by Ron Ebberts as a commercial operation and in 2021, DCRB <br /> accepted the reclamation liability for the site and the commercial permit was transferred to the <br /> County as a Free Use Permit. DCRB accepted this liability and established the pit as a Free Use <br /> Permit due to the lack of available gravel in Dolores County. A new permit is currently required <br /> to cover a new mine and reclamation plan for the pit that includes material processing and <br /> expansion of the footprint into adjacent gravel reserves. San Miguel County has been made <br /> aware of this proposal and has no objections. In the future, San Miguel County may purchase <br /> material from Dolores County on a pro-rate cost-share basis,with no profit markup. <br /> Disappointment Valley Gravel Pit Expansion EA DOI-BLM-CO-S010-2024-0021-EA <br /> Tres Rios Field Office <br /> 2 <br />