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December 'I. <'GC3 <br />Page 2-2 <br />2003 regarding the plans to consider the West Flatiron LBA Lease tract. In addition, a legal notice was <br />published on August 1, 2003 in The Daily Sentinel, a newspaper printed in Grand Junction, Colorado. In <br />both the scoping letter and the public notice, the Forest Service requested any comments regarding the <br />proposed LBA tract be returned to the agency on or before September 1, 2003. Three comment letters <br />were received: one from the Delta County Board of County Commissioners; the second from the U.S. <br />Environmental Protection Agency (EPA); and a third from the Western Slope Environmental Resource <br />Council. <br />The project was also discussed with the North Fork Coal Working Group, acommunity-based group <br />working on coal issues at their July 28, 2003 and October 14, 2003 meetings. <br />2.3 Issues and Concerns <br />The following issues and concerns are outlined for consideration in this EA: <br />- Land Use -Minimize disturbance to the land surtace within the West Flatiron LBA tract, and <br />address effects to the roadless character and existing land uses of the area. <br />- Geology/Subsidence -Identify geologic hazards and faulting on LBA tract and effects of <br />subsidence on terrain. Assess changes to topography. <br />- Water Resources -Minimize impacts to water quality in any ephemeral, intermittent and <br />perennial streams during underground mining activities from coal reserves located in the West <br />Flatiron LBA tract. Identify the potential of subsidence to disturb watershed resources within and <br />surrounding the LBA tract. <br />- Vegetation -Address the effect of any subsidence on vegetation. Identify the potential of <br />subsidence to affect any threatened, endangered, candidate or sensitive plant species. <br />- Wildlife -Minimize disruption to wildlife during any underground mining activities on the West <br />Flatiron LBA tract. Identify the potential of subsidence to affect any threatened, endangered, <br />candidate or sensitive wildlife species. Address effects to Forest Service Management Indicator <br />Species. <br />- Socioeconomics -Address the social and economic effects of mining/not mining of coal found <br />within the West Flatiron LBA tract. <br />- Cumulative Impacts -Address the cumulative impacts of leasing with existing MCC coal <br />methane drainage wells and the proposed seismic work and installation of coal methane drainage <br />wells in Box Canyon (east of the West Flatiron LBA tract). <br />2.3.1 Issues Not Carried Forward for Analysis <br />The following issues and concerns were not carried forward for analysis in this EA: <br />- Address requirements for coal methane drainage wells. MCC reports that the need for <br />methane drainage is unknown at this time, however if methane drainage is needed during mining <br />Environment~,f A,sessment <br />L^te3t I'I~~tiron LBA Tract <br />G~:nnison Geur~f~p, Coterado <br />