PERMFILE56499

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: Revision
• Doc Date: 6/13/2005
• Doc Name: 2.04 Application for Permit For Surface or Underground
• Type & Sequence: PR10
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

West Elk one
Gunnison Nationa[Forest
Within the West Elk Mine permit area, the USFS manages approximately 4,700 acres of public land
located in T13S and T14S, R90W, 6th P.M. All USFS lands are within the Gunnison National
Forest. These lands fall within Management Areas SA and 6B. Management Area SA is generally
located south and west of Minnesota Creek and north of an imaginary line connecting Mount
Lamborn and Beaver Reservoir within the Gunnison National Forest. Management Area 6B is
roughly bounded on the southwest by Minnesota Creek, on the south by Gunnison Creek, on the
east by Coal Creek, and the north by the Forest boundary. The topography of the area is steep with
vegetation communities ranging from sage-grass to oakbrush and Douglas fu forest. Given the
rugged topography, relative inaccessibility and predominantly undisturbed vegetation communities,
the historic land uses of the azea have been limited to livestock grazing, wildlife habitat, and
dispersed recreational activities (hunting, trapping, horseback riding, and some off-road vehicle
use). The USFS has not developed or provided a discussion of the capability of the land to support
a variety of uses, recognizing that the historic land uses have been limited to those identified.
The management emphasis for Management Unit SA (identified as wildlife habitat on Map 67) is to
optimize winter range for big game, including deer, elk, pronghorns, bighorn sheep, and mountain
goats (USFS 1991). It is noted that it is unlikely that pronghorns, bighorn sheep, or mountain goats
would be found in the specific lands within the West Ells Mine pemut area. Grazing in this
management unit favors big game, with a goal of maintaining vegetation in mid-seral or better range
• condition. Emphasis is placed on maintaining shrub species with varied age stmcture. Livestock
use is to be limited to avoid competition with big game species. Dispersed recreation is to be
managed to limit winter use to very low or low densities.
The existing pre-mining management prescription for Management Area 6B (identified as
rangeland on Map 67) is livestock grazing (USFS, 1991). A description of the management
prescription states in part;
"The area is managed for livestock grazing. Range condition is maintained through use of
forage improvement practices, livestock management, and regulation of other resource
activities. Conflicts between livestock and wildlife are resolved in favor of livestock."
Compatible land uses include dispersed recreational activities and wildlife habitat.
Land capability and productivity is assessed in terms of providing adequate forage for the livestock
grazed on the management area as a whole. The capability guideline is to maintain capability at 60
percent of potential, and to allocate no more than 80 percent of available forage to livestock, leaving
the remainder for big game populations.
The only USFS grazing allotment within the permit area is the Dry Fork C&H allotment. This
allotment covers portions of Sections 20, 21, 22, 26, 27, 28, and 29 within the permit azea. The Dry
Fork allotment covers 31,849 acres with 15,124 acres considered suitable for grazing. Since 1988,
. the USFS has prescribed a two herd, eight pasture modified rest/defened rotation grazing system.
2.04-3 Revised June 1005 PR/0