GENERAL46211

• Permit No: C1980007
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 3/25/2005
• Doc Name: Draft EIS Dry Fork Lease
• From: US Forest Service
• To: DMG
• Permit Index Doc Type: Other Permits
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Chapter 1
Purpose and Need
2. Ensure that exploration, development and
production of mineral resources are
conducted in an environmentally sound
manner and that these activities are
considered fully in the planning and
management of other NFS resources; and,
3. Ensure that lands disturbed by mineral and
energy activities are reclaimed for other
productive uses.
The Forest Service considers mineral exploration
and development to be a part of its management
program (GMUG Amended Forest Plan, Page II-
61). It cooperates with the USDI, through its agent,
the BLM, in administering lawful development of
leaseable minerals. While the Forest Service is
mainly involved with surface resource management,
the agency recognizes that mineral development is
ordinarily in the public interest and can be
compatible with the purposes for which the NFS
lands are managed.
Under the Federal leasing program, the USDI
combined major Federal coal management
responsibilities into one unified program in order
to:
1. Give the nation a greater assurance of being
able to meet its national energy objective,
2. Provide a means to promote a more desirable
pattern of coal development with ample
environmental protection,
3. Assure that state and local governments
participate in decisions about where and
when Federal coal production will take place,
and
4. Increase competition in the western coal
industry.
Under regulations of the Mining and Mineral Policy
Act of 1970 and the Federal Land Policy
Management Act of 1976, the responsible Federal
agencies must ensure the following:
1. Adverse environmental impacts on public
land surface resources are minimized to the
extent practical;
2. Measures must be included to provide for
reclamation, where practicable; and
3. The proposed operation will comply with
other Federal and state laws and regulations.
Appendix D contains a listing of permits and
approvals needed for implementing a Federal coal
leasing decision.
1.4 CONFORMANCE WITH
LAND USE PLANS
GMUG Forest Plan
The GMUG Amended Land and Resource
Management Plan (Forest Plan), dated September
1991, and the $LM Uncompahgre Basin Resource
Management Plan (RMP), dated July 1989, made
provisions for coal leasing subject to the application
of the coal unsuitability criteria established in 43
CFR 3461 (see Appendix A, Unsuitability Analysis
Report -Dry Fork LBA Tract (COC-67232)). The
Forest Plan also provided for applicable stipulations
to be utilized for protection of specific surface
resources as addressed in Section III, General
Direction, pages 63-69.
The Forest Plan guides natural resource
management activities and establishes management
standards and guidelines for the GMUG. The
following multiple use management area
prescriptions are designated for the lands bounded
in the Dry Fork LBA tract:
Sa -Big game winter range in non-forest areas.
Semi-primitive non-motorized, semi-primitive
motorized and roaded natural recreation
opportunities will be provided. Motorized
recreation on local roads is managed to prevent
unacceptable stress on big game animals during
primary big game season. Vegetation treatment
will enhance plant and animal diversity.
Livestock grazing is compatible, but managed to
favor wildlife habitat.
66 -Emphasizes management for livestock
grazing. Range condition is maintained through
use of forage improvement practices, livestock
management, and regulation of other resource
activities.
9A - Emphasizes management of all the
components of aquatic/riparian ecosystems to
provide healthy, self-perpetuating plant
communities, acceptable water quality
Dry Fork Lease-By-Application DEIS 1-5