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February 2000 Summary Page S-1 <br />SUMMARY <br />S-i.0 INTRODUCTION <br />The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) Colorado State Office and the USDA Forest Service (Forest <br />Service) Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) are joint lead agencies <br />considering two lease-by-applications (LBA) for federal coal and a coal exploration license in the North <br />Fork of the Gunnison River Valley. The west lease tract is known as the Iron Point Tract, and BLM has <br />assigned this tract serial number COC~1209. This tract covers approximately 3,403 acres of federal <br />coal in Delta County, Colorado. The LBA tract to the east is known as the Elk Creek Tract; the BLM <br />has assigned this tract serial number COC-61357. This tract covers approximately 3,703 acres of <br />federal coal in both Delta and Gunnison counties, Colorado. The coal exploration license application is <br />on unleased lands within and adjacent to the Iron Point Coal Lease Tract; the BLM has assigned this <br />exploration license area serial number COC~1945. The exploration license area contains <br />approximately 6,053 acres. <br />In January of 1999, as part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) public process, the BLM <br />and Forest Service determined That the requirements of NEPA would be best served by preparing a <br />consolidated EIS for the two coal lease tracts and the exploration license area. <br />As required by NEPA, a scoping process was initiated in March 1999 to solicit comments from the ' <br />general public, businesses, special interest groups, and government agencies regarding the coal <br />leasing and an exploration license. On April 13, 1999, a Notice of Intent to prepare an EIS was <br />published in the Federal Register by the BLM and the Forest Service. A public scoping meeting was <br />held in Hotchkiss, Colorado on Wednesday night, April 21, 1999. The formal scoping period ended on <br />May 17, 1999. <br />The Draft EIS was filed with the EPA and distributed to the public in late August 1999. The Notice of <br />Availability for the Draft EIS was published in the Federal Register on September 3, 1999. A public <br />information meeting was held on the evening of October 7, 1999 at the Hotchkiss High School <br />(Hotchkiss, Colorado) to explain and answer questions on the Draft EIS and the coal leasing process. <br />A formal public hearing was held on the evening of October 14, 1999 at the Hotchkiss High School for <br />interested individuals and organizations to make oral comments and statements on the Draft EIS. <br />The formal comment period on the Draft EIS ended on November 3, 1999. Over 750 individual <br />comments were received. The majority of the comments were classified in the categories of <br />socioeconomics, transportation, and noise. <br />S-1.1 Proposed Action <br />There are three proposed actions assoaated with this EIS <br />Lease the Iron Point Coal Lease Tract on federal lands in Delta County, Colorado, for <br />underground coal mining; <br />Lease the Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract on federal lands in Delta and Gunnison, counties, <br />Colorado, for underground coal mining; and, <br />- Issue an exploration license for coal exploration on federal lands in Delta County, Colorado. <br />Final Environmental Impact Statement <br />