GENERAL42877 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

CoulMethane Drainage Project- PaneLr 16-24 Wert E!k Mine • Page 3-10 3.1.2.8 Public ATV Use Option Under the Public ATV Option, continued long-term ATV access on the West Flatiron, West Bench, and East Bench roads would result in continuing use and minor ongoing erosion and sedimentation effects from these trails on adjacent drainages and particularly where the trails (West Flatiron) cross drainages or riparian areas. 3.1.3 Cumulative Effects The planned sequence for the drilling starts in panels 1G, 17, and 178 in 2002, progressing into panels 21 through 24 in years 2003 and 2004, and finishing in panels 18 through 20 in the years 2005 and 2006. Panel 178 is not currently scheduled to be mined until 2016. There is slight potential for this panel to be mined in the next 5 years. No or negligible cumulative effects are anticipated relative to geology and ground water, since direct and indirect effects are negligible. Cumulative impacts relative to surface water and riparian resources would increase over the duration of the project due to increases in total disturbance area, then reduce after 2008 as revegetation of disturbed areas reduces sedimentation and erosion. Initially, the potential impacts would occur in the southern portion of the area, progressing to the north. Since all of the azea drainages are tributary to the North Fork, increasing surface disturbance would have the potential to incrementally increase sediment contributions to the North Fork. As noted in Section 3.1.2.], however, proposed mitigation and monitoring measures would generally be effective in preventing or limiting soil loss, erosion, and sedimentation. Proposed progressive reclamation of surface disturbance azeas would also be effective in minimizing the potential for cumulative impacts by limiting the overall dismrbance at any given point in time. Any large-scale future development activity (i.e.: coal exploration, leasing, future methane drainage, future mining, future methane gas development) would be subject to the same or similaz environmental analysis, permitting, and mitigation requirements as the project proposal. These safeguazds would tend to prevent or limit potential cumulative effects. 3.2 WILDLIFE For wildlife resources, the project impact azea is the project azea. The cumulative impact area is a larger area of approximately 18,940 acres on the north flank of Mount Gunnison, which encompasses big game ranges to the south and east of the project area. 3.2.1 Affected Environment The azea on the north flank of Mount Gunnison includes a number of tributazies that drain north into the North Fork of the Gunnison River and southwest into Minnesota Creek. There aze several perennial streams (Ravens Gulch, Deep Creek, Box Canyon, Sylvester Gulch, Lone Pine Gulch, and Horse Gulch) in the area, however, none aze known to support fisheries. Elevations in the cumulative impact area range from 7,400 feet to 10,000 feet, and in the project azea, from 7,400 to 8,600 feet. Vegetative cover types from the flank of Mount Gunnison to the lower elevation areas range from small stringers of spruce-fu and pure aspen forest, to large expansive azeas of Gambel oak mixed with pockets of aspen- The upper mesas are dominated by grass meadows interspersed with sagebrush. Forest communities associated with steep, incised drainages such as Deep Creek and Ravens Gulch aze composed of Engelmann spruce-fu, Douglas fir and blue spruce. Ripazian habitat in Sylvester Gulch and Box Canyon is composed of mixed woodland species, such as naaowleaf cottonwood, aspen, box elder, Rocky Mountain maple, and mountain ash. Ripazian communities assouated with intermittent or ephemeral drainages contain mountain meadow grass/forb and carer species, and in some azeas, an aspen overstory. Succession in the oak habitat type is strongly influenced by fue. This area burns on a 15-25 year cycle. Fire frequency has declined in the past 100 yeazs, therefore, most of the oak is mature and dense. The majority of oak habitat within the analysis Environmcntal.'L.rurment reVP/Nwls'. CdG/EA/0..yri/a/0]EI UIFf 3/f/OI ~N