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Environmental Assessment Bowie Resoumes, LLC. <br />Aug ust 2005 Spruc St Fedeml Coal Exploration License (150- 2005 -03) <br />watering. The water withdrawals for exploration drilling activities and dust control will be <br />approximately 2.2 acre feet. This will result in de minimis depletion of the Gunnison and <br />Colorado Rivers and will have a negligible impact on the fish species and their habitat. Since the <br />water depletion is minimal, it will be covered under the Programmatic Biological Opinion <br />(Opinion) issued to the GMUG by USFWS May 25, 2005 (USFWS 2005). As part of this <br />Opinion, USFWS requires the GMUG to report this depletion in their annual water depletion <br />report to the USFWS. <br />Management Indicator Species <br />The use of MIS in project planning was established by the National Forest Management Act, <br />promulgated in 1983 and amended in 1991. MIS are plant and animal species, communities, or <br />special habitats selected for emphasis in planning, and which are monitored during forest plan <br />implementation in order to assess the effects of management activities on their populations and <br />the populations of other species with similar habitat needs that they represent. The March 2005 <br />Decision Notice & Finding of No Significant Impact, Management Indicator Species Forest Plan <br />Amendment listed eight MIS animal species (USDA -FS 2005). These species are elk, Abert's <br />Squirrel, Brewers Sparrow, Northern Goshawk, Merriam's Wild Turkey, Pine (American) <br />Martin, Red -naped Sapsucker, and common trout. <br />The MIS Analysis performed for the Proposed Action found that there would be no impact to <br />any of the MIS species based on minimal acreage of disturbance along with the short duration of <br />the Proposed Action. MIS species identified in the analysis that have habitat and are potentially <br />present include elk, Abert's squirrel, Northern goshawk, Merriam's wild turkey, and common <br />trout. <br />3.2.3.2 Environmental Consequences <br />Proposed Action <br />Vegetation <br />The impact to vegetation would be minimal since the total acreage of disturbance is small and <br />not concentrated in one particular area. Some removal of vegetation would occur, but based on <br />the overall acreage to be disturbed, this removal would be negligible. Impacts on vegetative <br />communities from invasive and noxious weeds would be low based on the low level of <br />disturbance, operational practices, and reclamation of disturbed areas. <br />Terrestrial Wildlife <br />The drilling of exploration holes, along with the development of drill pads and access roads <br />would create approximately 13.8 acres of new temporary disturbance in currently undisturbed . <br />areas of vegetation communities /wildlife habitats. The principal wildlife habitat affected would <br />be Gambel oak habitat, which is one of the more common plant communities at this elevation on <br />the slopes of Grand Mesa. Potential effects to species of concern are greatest with loss of aspen, <br />Douglas fir, and cottonwood habitats. Road activities associated with the Proposed Action <br />would include approximately 1.0 mile of new temporary road. The effects of temporary road <br />construction and drill pad development on habitat fragmentation would be negligible, since the <br />total amount of permanent habitat loss is minimal. In addition, the acreage of wildlife habitat <br />3 -16 <br />