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Cool Metbame DraimaRe Project - PaneG 76-24 Wert E(k Mime • Paye 3-00
<br />3.1.2.8 Public AN Use Option
<br />Under the Public ATV Option, continued long-term ATV access on the West Flatiron, West Bench,
<br />and East Bench roads would result in continuing use and minor ongoing erosion and sedimentation
<br />effects from these trails on adjacent drainages and pazticularly where the trails (West Flatiron) cross
<br />drainages or riparian areas.
<br />3.1.3 Cumulative Effects
<br />The planned sequence for the drilling starts in panels 16, 17, and 17S in 2002, progressing into panels
<br />21 through 24 in years 2003 and 2004, and finishing in panels 18 through 20 in the years 2005 and
<br />2006. Panel 17S is not currently scheduled to be mined until 2016. There is slight potential for this
<br />panel to be mined in the next 5 years. No or negligible cumulative effects are anticipated relative to
<br />geology and ground water, since direct and indirect effects are negligible. Cumulative impacts relative
<br />to surface water and riparian resources would increase over the duration of the project due to
<br />increases in total dismrbance area, then reduce after 2008 as zevegetation of disturbed azeas reduces
<br />sedimentation and erosion. Initially, the potential impacts would occur in the southern portion of the
<br />area, progressing to the north. Since all of the azea drainages aze tributary to the North Fork,
<br />increasing surface disturbance would have the potential to incrementally increase sediment
<br />contributions to the North Fork. As noted in Section 3.1.2.1, however, proposed mitigation and
<br />monitoring measures would genezally be effective in preventing or limiting so$ loss, erosion, and
<br />sedimentation. Proposed progressive reclamation of surface disturbance azeas would also be effective
<br />in minimi>ing the potential for cumulative impacts by limiting the overall disturbance at any given
<br />point in time.
<br />Any large-scale future development activity (i.e.: coal exploration, leasing, future methane drainage,
<br />future mining, future methane gas development) would be subject to the same or similar
<br />environmental analysis, permitting, and mitigation requirements as the project proposal. These
<br />safeguazds would tend to prevent or limit potential cumulative effects.
<br />3.2 WILDLIFE
<br />For wildlife resources, the project impact azea is the project area. The cumulative impact azea is a
<br />lazger area of approximately 18,940 acres on the north flank of Mount Gunruson, which encompasses
<br />big game ranges to the south and east of the project area.
<br />3.2.1 Affected Environment
<br />The azea on the north flank of Mount Gunnison includes a number of tributaries that drain north
<br />into the North Fork of the Gunnison River and southwest into Minnesota Creek. There aze several
<br />perennial streams (Ravens Gulch, Deep Creek, Box Canyon, Sylvester Gulch, Lone Pine Gulch, and
<br />Horse Gulch) in the area, however, none aze known to support fisheries. Elevations in the
<br />cumulative impact area range from 7,400 feet to 10,000 feet, and in the project area, from 7,400 to
<br />8,600 feet. Vegetative cover types from the flank of Mount Gunnison to the lower elevation azeas
<br />range from small stringers of spruce-fir and pure aspen forest, to large expansive areas of Gambel oak
<br />mixed with pockets of aspen. The upper mesas are dominated by grass meadows interspersed with
<br />sagebrush. Forest communities associated with steep, incised drainages such as Deep Creek and
<br />Ravens Gulch are composed of Engelmann spruce-fir, Douglas fu and blue spruce. Riparian habitat
<br />in Sylvester Gulch and Box Canyon is composed of mixed woodland species, such as nazrowleaf
<br />cottonwood, aspen, box elder, Rocky Mountain maple, and mountain ash. Riparian communities
<br />associated with intemuttent or ephemeral drainages contain mountain meadow grass/forb and carex
<br />species, and in some azeas, an aspen overstory. Succession in the oak habitat type is strongly
<br />influenced by fire. This area bums on a 15-25 year ryde. Fire frequency has declined in the past 100
<br />yeazs, therefore, most of the oak is mature and dense. The majority of oak habitat within the analysis
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<br />Environmental Auurment
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