GENERAL55787

• Permit No: M1999002
• IBM Index Class Name: General Documents
• Doc Date: 8/18/1998
• Doc Name: COMMERCIAL MINE PLAN SUBMITTED TO BLM SECTION 8
• Media Type: D
• Archive: No

Along the pipeline route, land uses such as grazing would be temporarily displaced
• during construction. After construction is finished and disturbed soils are
revegetated, grazing and wildlife use would likely return to historical levels.
Recreational uses along the pipeline route would also return to historical levels. In
the Parachute Creek valley, construction of the pipeline would have minimal
impact on agricultural land uses along the route. The temporary displacement of
these uses along a narrow corridor would not have a measurable effect on those
uses. American Soda would coordinate, as necessary, with natural gas well and
pipeline operators to minimize conflicts with gas production and transportation
activities.
Based on discussions with the Garfield County Planning Department and review of
the Garfield County Comprehensive Plan, development of the preferred Parachute
Site would be consistent with Garfield County land use policies. While the
Parachute Site is zoned for agricultural land uses, the Garfield County Plan allows
natural resource processing operations in agricultural zones provided the operator
obtains a Special Use Permit (Garfield County Planning Department 1998).
Reactivation of the railroad spur from the preferred Parachute Site to the Union
Pacific main line along Interstate 70 will require authorization from the Colorado
Public Utilities Commission (PUC) to rross Garfield County Road 215 (Parachute
Creek Road). American Soda will also be required to obtain a Road Cut Permit from
the Garfield County Road and Bridge Department for crossing Parachute Creek
Road. Because the vast majority of the rail spur route is across vacant land,
minimal land use conflicts would occur as a result of reactivation of the spur. To
avoid conflicts with a new natural gas compressor station located adjacent the spur
route, the spur will be rerouted to provide adequate distance from that facility.
8.14.2 Areas of Critical Environmental Concern
The Ryan Gulch Area of Critical Environmental Concern (ACEC) is coincident with
the portion of the Piceance Site occurring in the northern half of T1S, R97W,
Section 29. As indicated in Section 7.15.2, two federally listed threatened plant
species occur in this ACEC. Of these, only Playsaria obcordata, the Dudley Bluffs
twinpod, has been found within the Yankee Gulch Project portion of the Ryan
Gulch ACEC. American Soda will avoid disturbing colonies of the Dudley Bluffs
twinpod during construction and operation of the project. Likewise, should the
Questar natural gas supply alternative be selected for the project (see Section 2.1.2.2
and Figure 2-3), populations of threatened plants will be avoided in the routing of
the natural gas pipeline through the Ryan Gulch ACEC. By these actions, American
Soda will avoid adverse impacts to the BLM's management objectives for the ACEC,
which are essentially to protect colonies of these plant species within the ACEC.
The BLM has noted that rehabilitation of any disturbance within the Ryan Gulch
• ACEC would require the use of native vegetation (BLM 1997a). Project-related land-
disturbing activities within the Ryan Gulch ACEC (i.e., within the northern half of
American Soda. L.L.P. 8_42
Commercial Mine Plan
August 18, 1998