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include reopening about 1.5 miles of an abandoned drilling access road (see Section 2.D, Alten.ratives). The new surface disturbance (drill pads and new tetporary road) are proposed to be placed in a corridor shown on the attached map to facilitate for field design needs and to ensure rninimal surface disturbance. The proposed action includes thaE the reopened abttndonecl drill road would be reclaimed to it's previous state when no longer needed for GVB drilling activities and subsequent monitoring. The proposed action also includes that the new temporary access road would be recontoured and revegetated at the completion of GVB installation and monitoring activities. Additional details on the proposed GVB installation and road access is discussed in section 1.G, Reasonable Foreseeable Development Scenario. Another part of the proposed action is to Srrant an exception to the Big Game Winter Rangy, timing limitation that restricts surface use from December 1 to April 30. Granting an exception to this stipulation would allow MCC to use the area during winter months for G\rB installation as needed to continue coal production. 1.C. PURPOSE APID NEED The purpose and need of this federal action is to consider allowing drilling and installation of GVBs, and constnicting and/or reopening needed access roads, to respond to the need for methane gas liberation from an underground coal mine operati~rg on an existing federal coal lease. This consideration is given to ensure worker safety, and ensure continued development of leased federal coal reserves. Discussion on authorizing actions is given in Chapter 1, Section E. The proposed action conforms to the overall guidance given in the GMUG Land and Resource Management Plan, as amended (Forest Plan, 1991), which encourages environmentally sound energy and minerals development outside wilderness areas (Forest Plan, page II-61). This EA references the Environmental Assessment and Decision Notice/Finding of No Significant Impact (DN/FONSI) for Federal Coal Lease C-56447 (Box Canyon Lease), 1995, and Decision Memos signed April 4, July 6, July 20, and August 30, 2001 for other GVB installations in proximity to this project area. 1.D. ]PROJECT LOCATION The project location is situated about 4 miles sott[heast of the town of Somerset, in Gunnison County, Colorado. The proposed GVBs and road access lie within Pdational Foresl. System lands administered by the GMUG, Paonia Ranger District. The general legal description of the project area is the S '/~, Section 26, T 13 S., R 90 W, 6`F' PM, (:;ee attached figure). The p_oject area lies on the southern flank of West Flatiron Mesa, in an ephemeral tributary to Deep Creek informally known as Long Draw.