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Page S-2 Summary February 2000 S-1.2 Purpose and Need With the preparation of the North Fork Coal EIS, the 8LM and Forest Service are responding to coal lease tract applications submitted by Bowie Resources Ltd. (Bowie) and Oxbow Mining Inc. (Oxbow), as well as an exploration license application submitted by Bowie under procedures set forth in 43 CFR 3400. The purpose and objective for Bowie and Oxbow with regard to the Iron Point and Elk Creek Coal Lease tracts, respectively, are to continue their existing coal mining operations. Bowie requested the Iron Point Coal Lease Tract in order to maintain reserves to supply potential customers and to economically justify the installation of a longwall mining system. The federal coal deposits in the Iron Point Coal Lease Tract are a logical extension to the existing operations at the Bowie No. 2 Mine. Bowie also filed for the exploration license in order to obtain additional information regarding coal resources in the Iron Point Coal Lease Tract and areas to the north of the tract. Such exploration is required to further delineate the extent of the coal resources in this area, as well as to obtain coal quality information. Arts Land Company (an affiliate of Mountain Coal Company) elected to participate in this exploration program with Bowie. Oxbow applied for the Elk Creek Coal Lease Tract as a logical extension to its existing mining. Oxbow presently operates with a longwall system for underground mining at its Sanborn Creek Mine. The federal coal reserves in this area are comprised of high BTU, low sulfur coal. This high quality coal is sometimes referred to as'clean coal" or "compliance coal." Industry demand for this coal is . relatively high in that its use helps achieve Clean Air Act requirements. Both the BLM and the Forest Service maintain policies which allow private industry to explore, develop, and mine coal on federal lands. Pursuant to the Mineral Leasing Act of 1920, as amended by the Federal Coal Leasing Amendments Act of 1976, the BLM administers a coal leasing program to allow the private sector to mine federally owned coal reserves. Under the terms of this law, the BLM is charged with the administration of the coal mineral estate on federal lands and is required to lease coal for economic recovery. Consent by the surface management agency (the Forest Service in this case) is required before BLM can proceed with leasing. S-1.3 Decisions to be Made The BLM and the Forest Service are the joint lead agencies responsible for completion of this EIS. The Office of Surface Mining ReGamation and Enforcement (OSM) is a cooperating agency on this EIS. These three agencies are following specific procedures that began with scoping and data collection and continued with analysis of data and evaluation of altematives. In accordance with regulations implementing NEPA (40 CFR 1500), the results of this analysis are documented in the EIS and will form the basis for decisions to be made on the Iron Point and Elk Creek Coal Lease tracts, as well as the Iron Point Exploration License application. After the close of the Draft EIS review and comment period, the BLM and Forest Service considered comments submitted and responded to those comments in the Final EIS. OSM assisted the BLM and Forest Service with comments pertinent to areas of their jurisdiction and expertise. The BLM and Forest Service considered and responded to these comments by: • Modifying altematives; Modifying the analysis as presented in the Draft EIS; " Making lrorrections for the Final EIS; and, Explaining why comments do not warrant further agency response.