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soil, wildlife, and other resources and uses, and to ensure reclamation of disturbed lands to Forest Service specifications. I have also decided to grant project-specific variances on the follow lease stipulations: • No fuel storage is allowing within 500 feet of any water bodies. • A 1/S mile buffer zone will be protected on either side of riparian zones. No surface disturbances, except surface subsidence, will be permitted within these buffer zones. All unavoidable surface disturbances will be require approval of the BLM and/or the USES authorized officer. Through this analysis and project record review I have decided that these variances are consistent with federal laws and the GMUG Forest plan and acceptable based on environmental review. The location of project surface disturbances is necessary and unavoidable for Bowie to continue to develop and produce Federal Coal Lease COC- 61209; additional Conditions of Surface Use have been included to mitigate any undesirable effects from these variance. I have determined that the proposed project and any activities conducted in compliance with the USDA-FS conditions will not individually or cumulatively have a significant effect on the human environment. I have based by conclusion on information presented in this document and the entirety of the Project Record. The determination that this project is categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement or environmental assessment is based on the fact the proposal is related to a "short-term (one year or less) mineral, energy, or geophysical investigation and its incidental support activity that may require cross-country travel by vehicles and equipment, construction of less than one mile of low-standard road, [o]r use and minor repair of existing roads' [Ref. FSH 1909.15 Environmental Policy and Procedures Handbook, Chapter 30 Categorical Exclusions from Documentation, Sec. 31.2 Categories of Actions for Which a Project or Case File and Decision Memo are Required, No.. S Short-term (one year or less) minerals, energy, or geophysical investigations...]. Extraordinary Circumstances Following the direction at FSH 1909.15, Ch. 30, Sec. 30.3, I considered the following resource conditions in making my determination that there are no extraordinary circumstances associated with the proposed geotechnical boreholes. Federally listed threatened and endangered species or designated critical habitat, species proposed for federal listing or proposed critical habitat, Forest Service sensitive species, and Management Indicator Species (MIS). Threatened, Proposed, Candidate and/or Forest Sensitive Species -Effects Use of the Colorado Lynx Project Decision Screens (June 2004, and the GMUG Lynx Habitat Map, Feb 2006) has determined that the project is not within a Lynx Analysis Unit, and is therefore not considered to be potential lynx habitat. Hubbard Creek at the project site is not suitable for Bald Eagle foraging, and not suitable nesting sites exist in the vicinity. Some potential habitat for the yellow- billed cuckoo exists in the Hubbard Creek canyon, but no cuckoos are known or expected to occur in the project area. With respect to Forest Service Sensitive species, only four species (fringed myotis, spotted bat, Townsend's big-eared bat, and loggerhead shrike) are likely