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The purpose of the agency's action is to protect public health and safety, to prevent loss of leased federal coal resources, and to facilitate safe and efficient production of compliant and super compliant coal reserves. This project would contribute to meeting the need for energy resources developed and produced in an environmentally sound manner. The project responds to the goals and objectives outlined in the Amended GMUG Land and Resource Management Plan (GMUG Forest Plan, USDA FS 1991) which calls for encouraging environmentally sound energy and minerals development. By providing for coal leasing and development in this area, the GMUG Forest Plan and Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Uncompahgre Basin Resource Management Plan (Uncompahgre RMP, USDI BLM 1989) aclrnowledged that the area could at some future time support surface facilities necessary to support coal production. The GMUG Forest Plan also identified providing livestock forage, managing big game winter range and protecting riparian habitat as the desired future conditions of the area. The proposed action is designed to be consistent with moving the area towards those desired conditions. The Uncompahgre RMP supports coal leasing and development in the area with respect to management of mineral resources. Proposed Action in Brief The Forest Service proposes issue its concurrence to DRMS mine permitting action that would to authorize MCC to conduct surface operations associated with accessing, drilling, constructing, operating, and reclaiming 168 methane drainage wells on 137 drilling locations, and one ventilation/ escapeway shaft on the National Forest System (NFS) lands described below. Five of the drilling locations would also serve as staging areas. An additional six staging areas may be used, two of are currently reclaimed areas. The proposed action includes authorize construction and use of about 23.8 miles of roads (19 miles of new and 4.8 miles existing) necessary for these operations, which includes a 0.6 re-routing of an existing life of mine access road to address issues related to geologic hazards, sedimentation control and maintenance. Operations related to these authorizations are expected to begin in summer 2007. The proposed action includes granting relief from the lease stipulation on federal coal lease C- 1362 that restricts activities between December 1 and April 30 for the protection of big game winter range to facilitate construction of the Deer Creek shaft. Specific details of operations to be conducted under the proposed action are described in Chapter 2. Location of Proposed Action The Deer Creek ventilation shaft/escapeway is located in NE'/a Section 32, Township 13 South, Range 90 West, 6`h Principal Meridian, in Gunnison County, Colorado (approximately 1,800 feet southeast of Minnesota Reservoir) on federal coal lease C-1362. The proposed E seam methane drainage well development is located in Sections 26-29 and 32-35, Township 13 South, Range 90 West and in Sections 1-5, and 9-11, Township 14 South, Range 90 West, 6`h Principal Meridian, in Gunnison County, Colorado (approximately 7 to 10 miles east and northeast of Paonia, Colorado) on federal coal leases C-1362, COC-56447 and COC-67232 (Figure 3). Summary Description of Proposed Actions in Inventoried Roadless Areas Portions of the Proposed Action would occur on the federal coal leasesZ that are in the West Elk IRA. Approximately 3.2 miles of road construction (including a 0.6 mile re-route) is proposed on these leases within the IRA. The road construction is necessary for access to 35 sites for methane drainage wells. Seventeen of these sites would be located in the IRA. s Specific information about the individual federal coal leases involved in the project is described in the section, Federal Coal Leases. t 1 r i i 4 Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells DEIS