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unpublished, 1994. Amore detailed description of the soils on the proposed lease tract is contained in the Mountain Coal Company West Elk • Mine and Reclamation Plan. A potential alluvial valley floor on the proposed lease tract is the Quaternary alluvium associated with the North Fork of the Gunnison River. Recreation The lease application area supports various forms of dispersed recreation opportunities. Big game hunting is the most dominant reczeation activity in the area, with sightseeing being a popular subordinate activity. ID. ENVIRONh~NTAL CONSEQUENCES The impacts to air quality, climate, vegetation, soils, visual resources, and land use were found to be negligible, and therefore were not analyzed further. Alternative One - Proposed Action The location of facilities in the reasonably foreseeable development scenario presented for Alternative One would result in the need for • waivers, exceptions, ar:d modifications (WEMs) Co the stipulations that would otherwise preclude environmencal.impacts in such areas with elk winter range, wetlands, riparian areas, slopes greater than 60&, and high • geologic hazard. Although specific locations for facilities are unknown ac this time, even with mitigation some impacts would likely occur co wetlands, riparian areas, and eLk ::inter range and may possibly occur on slopes greater than o:,s and in areas of high geologic hazard. See the Oil and Cas Leasing FEIS for a discussion of the effects that could occur in those areas (pages IV-64 through IV-b8, and page IV-80). _ Minerals Subsidence could occur due to the extraction of coal on retreat in the application area. The most likely shoving on the surface would be gradual lowering of the surface vichout any surface disturbances such as tension cracks, although surface fractures could occur. In addition,- as a result of the requirement for the quarterly monitoring of the area for subsidence and the greater thickness of overburden, it is not anticipated that subsidence would be evidenced. Subsidence monitoring at the West Elk Mine since the mid-1980's indicates chat actual subsidence is consistent with predictions. E:chibit 60 of the Mountain Coal Company, West Elk Mining and Reclamation Plan discusses subsidence at the West Elk Mine. Table 3.3.4.2 predicts that maximum subsidence for longwall mining of the B seam is 7.97 feet and for room and pillar mining o° the F seam is 2.25 feet. Predictions for the D/E seam are not available. The F seam will not be mined on the tract and it is assumed that predictions for subsidence for the F seam will be similar to the D/E seam or 2.25 fee[. In areas where • ' ?0