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CHAPTERFOUR Environmental Consequences and Mitigation <br />Permanent Impacts <br />Permanent impacts to recreation may result from the placement of the railroad and permanent <br />access roads for maintenance of the transmission line. The railroad alignment crosses four <br />segments of trails, and the transmission line crosses six segments of trails. This may result in <br />permanent alteration of trails and lack of recreational access along these corridors. <br />No other permanent impacts to recreation would be expected except that the linear ROW with <br />poles and conductors would result in indirect visual impacts in some areas, affecting the natural <br />setting of recreational activities. See Section 4.1.8 for discussion of visual impacts. <br />Mitigation Measures <br />No mitigation is required. <br />Alternatives Carried Forward for Further Consideration <br />Grade-Separated Crossing at CR M.8 <br />The grade-separated crossing at CR M8 is on privately owned land under the jurisdiction of <br />Mesa County. There would be no impacts to recreation from this alternative. <br />Four-Quadrant Traffic Control Devices <br />The four-quadrant traffic control devices are on privately owned land under the jurisdiction of <br />Mesa County. There would be no impacts to recreation from this alternative. <br />Transmission Line Alternative A <br />Transmission Line Alternative A is on private land south of the Highline Canal, and would not <br />impact recreation. North of the Highline Canal, Alternative A follows CR 16 for the majority of <br />the length of the transmission line and crosses one two-track trail. Impacts would be the same as <br />the proposed action. <br />Transmission Line Alternative B <br />Alternative B is on private land south of the Highline Canal and crosses one trail that is under <br />construction on BLM land north of the Highline Canal. Impacts would be the same as the <br />proposed action. <br />Transmission Line Alternative C <br />Alternative C is on private land south of the Highline Canal, and would not impact recreation. <br />North of the Highline Canal, Alternative C crosses five trail segments. Impacts would be the <br />same as the proposed action. <br />4.1.5 Socioeconomics <br />Socioeconomic impacts of the proposed action and the action alternatives would be generated by <br />the construction and operation of the coal mine and the railroad spur built to transport the coal <br />out of the region. The project would produce a valuable energy source, creating new jobs and <br />new local business expenditures. In turn, secondary economic impacts would be generated in the <br />form of additional jobs and income and increased local, state, and federal government revenue. <br />The new jobs would likely result in increased local population and that population growth could <br />4-12 <br />DBMS 567 <br />