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3 ~`` <br />.; <br />in the GMUG Forest Plan which calls for encouraging environmentally sound energy and minerals <br />development. By providing for coal leasing and development in this area, the GMUG Forest Plan and <br />Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Uncompahgre Basin Resource Management Plan (Uncompahgre <br />RMP, `USDI BLM 1989) acknowledged that the area could at some future time support surface facilities <br />necessary to support coal production. <br />The GMUG Forest Plan also identified providing livestock forage, managing big game winter range and <br />protecting riparian habitat as the desired future conditions of the area. The proposed action is designed to <br />be consistent with moving the area towards those desired conditions. The Uncompahgre RMP supports <br />coal leasing and development in the area with respect to management of mineral resources. <br />The Deer Creek Shaft and E Searn Methane Drainage Wells Project Final Envirorrrnental Irnpact <br />Statement (FEIS) documents the analysis of two action alternatives to meet the project purpose and need <br />and the Forest Plan desired conditions. <br />Decision <br />Based upon my review of all the alternatives and the supporting information in the project record, I have <br />selected Alternative 2 -The Proposed Action, for the E Seam MDWs and associated access. <br />My decision on the E Seam MDWs project and associated access is that the Forest Service will provide <br />concurrence to OSM recommending that the USDI Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals approve <br />mining plan modifications for the E Seam MDWs brought forth in technical revisions to MCC's mine <br />permif issued by the DBMS. This Forest Service concurrence includes post-mining land use direction and <br />protections for non-mineral resources as further described below. <br />In this decision, the FS concurs with the placement of the E Seam MDWs and associated access roads at <br />the locations shown in Appendix B (E Seam MDWs Decision Map,). <br />Specific Components of this project include: <br />• Drilling and casing of up to 168 MDWs located on up to 146 drill locations NFS lands as needed <br />for methane drainage. <br />• Constructing approximately 15.8 miles of new temporary access road, which includes a 0.6-mile <br />rerouting of an existing life-of--mine administrative access road to address issues related to <br />geologic hazards, sedimentation control and maintenance issues. About 2.3 miles of the new <br />temporary access road is in the West Elk Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA). <br />• Using and performing maintenance (upgrading) on approximately 4.8 miles of existing National <br />Forest System Roads (NFSR} and approximately 2.0 miles of existing ATV routes on NFS lands; <br />• Installing passive and/or active degassing equipment; <br />• Operating and maintaining wells for methane drainage while recovering E Seam reserves; <br />• Interim reclamation of mud pits, seeding and mulching outslopes and cut-slopes, <br />• Plugging MDW drill holes when no longer needed and performing final reclamation to support <br />the post-mining land use; <br />• Decommissioning by obliteration. all new temporary access roads, and decommissioning existing <br />roads either to desired service level or obliterating them to support the post-mining land uses at <br />end ofneeded project use. <br />• Converting portions of the Poison Gulch Road (NFSR 711.X) from afull-sized system road to a <br />System ATV trail (which is the current primary use of the route) at the end of the project; <br />• Conducting contemporaneous final reclamation of the MDW sites to be reviewed annually <br />through the DRMS permitting process; <br />4 <br /> <br />