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<br />severance taxes paid to the State of Colorado for production of oil and gas, coal, and <br />• other minerals amounted to approximately $30.3 million, Based on preliminary <br />estimates, American Soda would pay approximately $2.0 million in severance taxes <br />annually over the life of the Yankee Gulch Project. <br />Severance tax revenue is split evenly between the State Severance Tax Trust Fund <br />and the Local Government Severance Tax Fund. The State Fund is used to pay for a <br />variety of natural resource-related conservation programs throughout Colorado. <br />The Local Government Fund, which is administered by the Colorado Department of <br />Local Affairs, is used to provide grants and loans to cities and counties where <br />mineral extraction occurs to help pay for a variety of local government facilities and <br />services and infrastructure. Thus, the Yankee Gulch Project would benefit residents <br />of Colorado as a whole and residents of project area counties through payment of <br />severance taxes into these funds. <br />8.14 LAND USE AND AREAS OF CRITICAL ENVIRONMENTAL CONCERN <br />8.14.1 Land Use <br />As described in Section 7.15.1, land uses that occur specifically at the Piceance Site <br />include periodic livestock grazing, grazing by wild horses, wildlife habitat, and <br />dispersed recreation. The Yankee Gulch Project commercial mining operation <br />• would exclude recreational activities from the Piceance Site processing facility area <br />and evaporation pond and active mining areas (see Section 8.10) and would likely <br />displace use of portions of the site by wild horses and wildlife due to increased <br />human activity (see Section 8.6). Because they are largely tolerant of human <br />presence, livestock grazing will probably be displaced only from immediate working <br />areas. <br />The exclusion of recreational activities and the displacement of wild horses and <br />wildlife would involve only a limited area. Given the presence of similar <br />recreational opportunities throughout the BLM White River Recreation <br />Management Area and the abundance of forage and wildlife habitat in surrounding <br />areas, the commercial-scale mining operation would result in negligible impacts on <br />these land uses. Over time, as mined areas are reclaimed and natural forage returns, <br />their use by wildlife, wild horses, and cattle should return to historical levels. <br />The Yankee Gulch Project would not adversely impact existing or future oil and gas <br />leases or utility and road rights-of-way in the area. <br />Based on discussions with the Rio Blanco County Planning Department and review <br />of the Rio Blanco County Comprehensive Plan, development of the Piceance Site <br />would be consistent with county land use policies. The Piceance Site is currently <br />zoned by the county for agricultural land uses, but natural resource extraction can <br />• occur in such a zone provided that American Soda obtains a Special Use Permit. <br />Amencan Soda, L,L_P_ g_tll <br />Commergal Mme Plan <br />August IB, 199!1 <br />