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DRAFT ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT for the DRY FORK FEDERAL COAL LEASE-BY-APPLICATION (COC-67232) APRIL 2005 GUNNISON COUNTY, COLORADO U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests Cooperating Agencies: U.S. Department of the Interior Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement Denver, Colorado and Bureau of Land Management Colorado State Office Responsible Official For further information: Charles S. Richmond Liane Mattson Forest Supervisor 2250 Highway 50 Delta, CO 81416 (970)874-6600 Project Leader 2250 Highway 50 Delta, CO 81416 (970)874-6697 ~IBST~CT This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) examines altemative approaches to coal leasing and their effects on the environment. Three alternatives are considered in detail. Alternative A (No Action) would not allow the leasing of the coal. Alternative B (Proposed Action) would allow the leasing of the coal. Alternative C would allow the leasing, with stipulations that Deep Creek, a perennial stream, could not be subsided. Five additional alternatives were considered, but not given detailed study. The USDA Forest Service's (Forest Service) preferred altemative is the Proposed Action, Alternative B. Public comment on the DEIS will close 45 days after the notice of availability appears in the Federal Register. Comments should be sent to Liane Mattson at the above address. Reviewers should provide the Forest Service with their comments during the review period of the draft environmental impact statement. This will enable the Forest Service to analyze and respond to the comments at one time and to use information acquired in the preparation of the final environmental impact statement, thus avoiding undue delay in the decisionmaking process. Reviewers have an obligation to stmcture their participation in the National Environmental Policy Act process so that it is meaningful and alerts the agency to the reviewers' position and contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Coro. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Environmental objections that could have been raised at the draft stage may be waived if not raised until after completion of the final environmental impact statement. City of Angoon v. Hodel (9th Circuit, 1986) and Wisconsin Heritaees, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Comments on the draft environmental impact statement should be specific and should address the adequacy of the statement and the merits of the altematives discussed (40 CFR 1503.3).