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IV. SUMMARY OF ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED A. Sylvester Gulch Temporary Road Construction Four alternatives were considered in the EA (Sections 2A.4 ttuough 7) for the Sylvester Road. Alternative 1 Svlvester Gulch Temoorarv Road Construction with Preferred Drainage Handlin¢ and Reclamation [ion. Alternative 1 is the Proposed Action. It considered construction of about one mile of a road constructed primarily from imported fill material in Sylvester Gulch. The road was conceptually designed to be located mostly outside the 50-year floodplain (but within the water influence zone, or WIZ), and would reroute the existing channel into a designed riprap channel. The road construction in the WIZ would remove about 3.3 acres of riparian vegetation. The road was proposed for short- term use through the useful life of the methane drainage drilling project (until about 2008). The road would provide direct access from MCC's private property across the National Forest, and connect with other existing temporary roads being used for the methane drilling project. This road alignment would require exceptions to coal lease stipulations for prohibiting occupancy in riparian areas and steep slopes. This alternative also considered two reclamation options including removal of the imported fill material used for the road, and leaving the imported fill in place. Alternative 2 -Undulating Alignment for Svlvester Gulch Road. Alternative 2 is a design variation of Alternative 1. Under Alternative 2, an alignment that shifted the proposed road closer to the drainage bottom, and evaluated "weaving" up the drainage to keep overall road grade within specifications was considered. The duration, needs for lease exceptions, and riparian impacts are the same as for Alternative 1. Alternative 3 - Meadow Road. Alternative 3 considered MCC's use of the Meadow Road that would route methane drilling traffic from the mine on a re-route of an existing road on private lands, and onto an existing road on the National Forest. The portion of the Meadow Road on private lands would require re-alignment and new road construction. Only road maintenance activities necessary to support larger vehicles would be required on the National Forest. This route would not result in the same cost and timesavings to MCC as Alternative 1 or 2. Alternative 4 - No Action. The No Action alternative considered that the methane drainage drilling project traffic would continue to use the current access route though the Town of Paonia, on County roads and existing Forest Service roads. B. Box Canyon Coal Methane Drainage Wells and Temporary Road Alternative 1. This alternative is [he proposed action. This alternative considered that about one mile of temporary road would be constructed; and 10 MDWs would be drilled from six drill pads. An exception to [he coal lease stipulation prohibiting occupancy in riparian areas would be needed. These activities in Box Canyon would occur over a 5-year period, starting in 2010. Alternative 2. This is the no action alternative that assumed the proposed activities would not occur. C. Box Canyon Shallow Seismic Reflection Survey Alternative 1. This alternative is the proposed action. This alternative assumes that a shallow seismic survey would be performed in Box Canyon over a period of 2 weeks in the 2005 field season. Shallow, small diameter drill holes would be drilled and explosive charges loaded into them. The charges would be detonated, and the resulting seismic data recorded. A small amount of surface disturbance from the drilling would occur, but is easily mitigated. Alternative 2. This is the no action alternative that assumed the proposed activities would no[ occur. V. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT Project scoping comments for the three project proposals were solicited from appropriate agencies, specific interested parties, and the general public. Sections 2A.2, 2B.2 and 2C.2 of the EA Supplement, provide description Page 13