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Mesa area appeazs disrupted by human influence." The associated record of Decision <br />(ROD) for the Oil and Gas EIS states that the azea portion of the West Elk IRA west of <br />Coal Creek has existing coal leases, coal exploration activities and roads and spurs have <br />compromised the roadless values. The ROD made this area available for oil and gas <br />leasing. Additional road building activities (about 10 miles) have continued in this area <br />since the 1993 Oil and Gas EIS. <br />Prior to the RARE II inventory, the "non-wilderness recommended portion" of the IRA <br />(in the west coal Creek Mesa portion) had been affected by coal exploration drilling <br />activities that had occurred beginning in the -ate 1960s. An estimated 38 miles of <br />exploration road had been built in association with drilling activity by 1979. The portion <br />of these roads have remained on the ground as four wheel drive roads. <br />Since 1979, an estimated ] 0 miles of road have been constructed in association with coal <br />exploration activities. In most cases, these roads were closed to full sized vehicle traffic, <br />although some aze now used as ATV routes. <br />In 2000, the Forest Service (at the national level) responded to an initiative from <br />President William J. Clinton that proposed to prohibit road construction and <br />reconstruction in IRAs. The final Roadless Area Conservation Rule appeazed in the <br />Federal Register on January 12, 2001, and brought forward prohibitions on road <br />construction and reconstruction in IRAs on national forest lands. The Rule as presently <br />proposed contains language that exempts existing mineral leases from the restrictions in <br />the rule. The rule is currently undergoing review by the Bush Administration, and is <br />subject to eight lawsuits. The ultimate outcome is uncertain at this time. <br />The Forest Service has published an interim Roads Policy (36 CFR Part 212, FSM 7700, <br />January 12, 2001). This roads policy defines requirements for road construction and <br />reconstruction activities in inventoried roadless area or unroaded areas, but provides <br />specific exemptions for "road construction needed in conjunction with the continuation, <br />extension or renewal of a mineral lease on lands that are under ]ease by the Secretary of <br />the Interior as of January 12, 2001..." This exemption applies to the proposed GVB <br />activities as they aze needed for an existing federal coal lease, including roads off the <br />lease that aze needed to access an existing lease (USDA-FS, January 12, 2001 and <br />USDA-FS, June 7, 2001). <br />3.B.2 Environmental Consequences <br />Alternative 1: No Action. Existing range and other land uses would continue in the area. <br />Approved GVB installations would occur with expected use of each site being 2 years. <br />Drill pads and road access would be reclaimed at the end of use. Hunters will continue to <br />visit the area. Roadless character would remain compromised. Current management <br />prescriptions would continue to be implemented. <br />21 <br />