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Uei,emt~~s, 9.2(303 <br />l=ace 1-? <br />The Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 states that public lands are to be managed in a <br />manner that recognizes the need for the domestic sources of minerals. <br />The Forest Service administers its mineral program to (Forest Service Manual 2800 ZERO Code - WO <br />Amendment 2800-91-1 Page 3): <br />1) Encourage and facilitate the orderly exploration, development, and production of mineral and <br />energy resources within the NFS in order to maintain a viable, healthy minerals industry and to <br />promote self-sufficiency in those mineral and energy resources necessary for economic growth <br />and national defense; <br />2) Ensure that exploration, development and production of mineral resources are conducted in an <br />environmentally sound manner and that these activities are considered fully in the planning and <br />management of other NFS resources; and, <br />3) Ensure that lands disturbed by mineral and energy activities are reclaimed for other producfive <br />uses. <br />The Forest Service considers mineral exploration and development to be a part of its management <br />program (GMUG Amended Forest Plan, Page II-61). It cooperates with the USDI, through its agent, the <br />BLM, in administering lawful development of leaseable minerals. While the Forest Service is mainly <br />involved with surface resource management, the agency recognizes that mineral development is <br />ordinarily in the public interest and can be compatible with the purposes for which the NFS lands are <br />managed. <br />Under the federal leasing program, the USDI combined major federal coal management responsibilities <br />into one unified program in order to: <br />1) Give the nation a greater assurance of being able to meet its national energy objective; <br />2) Provide a means to promote a more desirable pattern of coal development with ample <br />environmental protection; <br />3) Assure that state and local governments participate in decisions about where and when federal <br />coal production will take place; and, <br />4) Increase competition in the western coal industry. <br />Under regulations of the Mining and Mineral Policy Act of 1970 and the Federal Land Policy Management <br />Act of 1976, the responsible federal agencies must ensure the following: <br />1) Adverse environmental impacts on public land surtace resources are minimized to the extent <br />practical; <br />2) Measures must be included to provide for reclamation, where practicable; and, <br />3) The proposed operation will comply with other federal and state laws and regulations. <br />ErviionireoLii F~ssessmenl <br />West Hanron 1 r3A?7act <br />t3~.~nn±strn G'owity, Ciolar~do <br />