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~~te : ~ -~~ • 1111111111111111111 • <br />I~ac. Nc~~~:~p„1m~feiA.~ M;K~ f~0.M- S~~wti{'ftC~0. -c f7 f5~-Wt~ S~eeC ~~OvL 7 <br />• 7.0 AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT, IMPACTS, AND MITIGATION <br />Information on the existing environment of the Yankee Gulch Project comes from <br />many sources describing the regional environment, as well as: <br />• more specific sources describing the environment of the Piceance Creek <br />Basin, including the BLM White River Resource Area (BLM 1994, BLM 1996a, <br />Weeks et al. 1974, Robson and Saulnier 1980, SCS 1982, SCS 1985, Colorado <br />Natural Heritage Program 1999a, Colorado Natural Heritage Program 1999b); <br />• exploration plans and mine plans for other proposed and existing nahcolite <br />mines in the immediate vicinity (Denison 1989, Denison 1990, USGS 1981); <br />• federal environmental assessments for the Yankee Gulch Joint Venture <br />Leases, the American Soda Exploration Plan, and the American Soda <br />Experimental Test Mine Plan (BLM 1982, BLM 1996c, BLM 1997b); <br />federal environmental assessments for existing natural gas pipelines along <br />the project pipeline corridor (Barrett 1994, CIG 1995); <br />• the federal environmental impact statement for the Unocal Parachute Creek <br />Shale Oil Program Phase II (ACOE 1985); <br />• state, county, and community socioeconomic and traffic statistics; <br />• environmental surveys conducted under the American Soda Exploration <br />Plan (Young and Young 1995, Young and Young 1996, Grand River Institute <br />1996a, Grand River Institute 1996b). <br />Additional environmental surveys, including further botanical surveys and <br />cultural resources inventories as well as raptor nesting surveys and wetlands <br />investigations, are being conducted at the Piceance Site and along appropriate <br />sections of the pipeline corridor during the summer of 1998. The results of these <br />studies will be provided to the BLM upon completion. <br />7.1 SITE CHARACTERISTICS <br />7.1.1 Site Location <br />The Yankee Gulch Project area is located in western Colorado north of the Interstate <br />70/Colorado River corridor. The project area extends from the Piceance Site south- <br />. southeast to the Parachute Site for a distance of approximately 44 miles (Figure 1-1). <br />American Soda. L.L.P. '7_1 <br />Commercial Mine Plan <br />August 1g, 1998 <br />