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the applications, modify the actions based on analysis contained in this EIS and issue permits, or deny the applications. Following the completion of the EIS, the BLM Grand Junction Field Office will forward the competitive lease application, the Red C1iffMine EIS, a Maximum Economic Recovery report (MER), a proposed Record of Decision, proposed lease terms and conditions, and preliminary recommendations for the lease tract to the Colorado State Director of the BLM in Denver. The Colorado State Director will make a determination on leasing action, the proposed lease terms and conditions, and the bonding requirements. The Colorado State Director will then prepare newspaper and Federal Resister notices of the sale and post such notices of the proposed sales in the Public Room at the state office of the BLM. A sales panel consisting of the Deputy State Director for Mineral Resources, a BLM mining engineer, a BLM geologist, and a BLM mineral economist will then be designated as the group that will analyze prospective bidders and make recommendations regarding bids received at the proposed lease sale. If the coal is leased, approval to mine the coal is outside the scope of this EIS, and would be addressed as sepazate federal and state actions. The USACE would issue a Section 404 permit for the discharge of dredged or fill material into waters of the U.S. if they decide that the selected alternative is the LEDPA (see Section L6). 1.5 Conformance with BLM Land Use Plan Lands and resources in the project area are managed under the Grand Junction Field Office RMP. One of the objectives of the RMP was to identify azeas that aze acceptable for further leasing under the federal coal leasing program. The RMP identified geographic "emphasis azeas" where the management of a particular resource will be emphasized over all other resources (BLM 1987, p. 2-33). The management philosophy of Emphasis Area Cc was an emphasis on coal. The BLM's goal was to: "Identify approximately 350,389 acres as acceptable for further coal leasing consideration" (BLM 1987, p. 2-36). In the RMP, the BLM identifted the Book Cliffs Coal Field (included in Area Cc) as one of two azeas with economically feasible coal development potential in the planning azea (BLM 1987, p. 2-7}. No lands inside the Study Area have been determined unsuitable for coal leasing (BLM 1987, Appendix C). CAM's existing coal leases are included in Emphasis Area Cc. Portions of the Proposed Lease Area are also included in Emphasis Area Cc. Map GJDRMP2I.PDF showing Emphasis Area Cc can be found on the BLM Grand Junction website at: http://www.blmgov/co/st/en/BLM_Programs/land_use~lanning/rmp/grand_j unction.html. In 2004 the BLM completed the North Fruita Desert Management Plan (NFDMP), which addresses recreational opportunities in the area and amends the RMP by adding an additional No Surface Occupancy (NSO) area. The goal of the management direction of the NFDMP is to afford protection to the resources present in North Ftuita Desert area while still allowing for a variety of recreational and commercial opportunities. The NFDMP states: "The management actions outlined in the NDFMP aze intended to allow traditional uses to continue such as grazing, and oil and gas development, as well as to prevent additional resource degradation and minimize user conflicts while allowing for both present and future recreational uses" (BLM 2004, p. 40). The proposed rail spur (on BLM lands) and some of the related facilities (but not the mine portals) aze located within the North Fruita Desert Planning Area. The newly designated NSO area is located along 18 Road, east of the EIS project study area (BLM 2004, p. 28 and Map 2).