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Chapter 2 hazards, sedimentation control and access roads known as the West Flatiron , maintenance issues. The Proposed Action also Road, Long Draw Saddle (and includes authorizing use of approximately 5 Extension), and NFSRs 710, 711, 711.2A miles of existing National Forest System Roads and 711. 2B. ' (NFSRs). About twenty-four miles of road Proposal and analysis include approximately construction or reconstruction between 3.2 miles of new roads (including the 0.6 mile existing roads and new drill pads would ' re-route) associated with constructing or occur. Approximately 3.2 of these miles providing access to about 35 drill sites (17 are in the West Elk IRA. Approximate individual drill sites are proposed in roadless) new road access disturbance is up to 69 , in the West Elk IRA. The Purpose of and Need acres (approximately 11.2 acres in the for these locations have been approved by the West Elk IRA;-7.4 acres associated with Regional Forester as they fit exceptions to Lease COC-1362, 3.6 acres associated , RACR (see Proposed Activities in IRA section with Dry Fork Lease and 0.2 acres on below). Lease COC 56447) over 12 years. These , roads would be for project and Access to and from the E Seam MDW drilling administrative use only, and would not be area and the Deer creek shaft would use a available for public use. These mileages combination of County, existing NFSRs, would be decommissioned by obliteration ' existing life of mine administrative access after project use. roads serving the coal leases, and newly constructed administrative access roads as An existing life of mine (i.e. to 2030) ' follows (Figure 3): administrative access road in the SEI/4 Section 27, T 13S, R 90W would be re- • Daily project traffic (with the exception routed to mitigate existing resource and ' of oversize vehicles) is required to access maintenance problems due to geologic from the north via the Sylvester Gulch hazards, sedimentation and slope Road (approved as a temporary road in steepness. The existing administrative ' the 2002 Coal Methane Drainage Project access road would be decommissioned by Panels 16-24 Environmental Assessment obliteration upon construction of the re- and DN/FONSI May 2002, and modified route. The existing access route and , to a life of mine (to 2030) road in the proposed re-route are both in the West 2006 Supplement to Coal Methane Elk IRA. The re-route is about 0.6 miles, Drainage Project Panels 16-24 and would decrease the mileage of the , Environmental Assessment for Sylvester existing route by 0.6 miles. The re-route Gulch Road Construction and Long would be decommissioned by obliteration Draw Saddle Extension Upgrade). at the end of mine life (about 2030). The ' Project traffic on the Minnesota Creek re-route would be for on-lease activity Road was an issue that has arisen from and administrative use only, and would Delta County and the town of Paonia in not be available for public use. ' previous analysis. The Sylvester Gulch per decisions issued in 2002 and 2006 Road is currently under construction. Long Draw Saddle life of mine road will Oversize vehicles such as the drill rig and be decommissioned to an ATV trail. ' semi trucks would access from the west However, this route will follow the via Minnesota Creek Road in Delta existing route near "Bomb Rock", not County, Gunnison County Road 710, and have a spur constructed to complete the , NFSRs 710, 711..... trail. All project traffic would also use the ' existing life of mine administrative 18 Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells DEIS ,