2008-03-07_REVISION - C1980007 - Laserfiche WebLink

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in the GMUG Forest Plan which calls for encouraging environmentally sound energy and minerals development. By providing for coal leasing and development in this area, the GMUG Forest Plan and Bureau of Land Management's (BLM) Uncompahgre Basin Resource Management Plan (Uncompahgre RMP, USDI BLM 1989) acknowledged that the area could at some future time support surface facilities necessary to support coal production. The GMUG Forest Plan also identified providing livestock forage, managing big game winter range and protecting riparian habitat as the desired future conditions of the area. The proposed action is designed to be consistent with moving the area towards those desired conditions. The Uncompahgre RMP supports coal leasing and development in the area with respect to management of mineral resources. The Deer Creek Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells Project Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) documents the analysis of two action alternatives to meet the project purpose and need and the Forest Plan desired conditions. Decision Based upon my review of all the alternatives and the supporting information in the project record, I have selected Alternative 2 - The Proposed Action, for the E Seam MDWs and associated access. My decision on the E Seam MDWs project and associated access is that the Forest Service will provide concurrence to OSM recommending that the USDI Assistant Secretary for Land and Minerals approve mining plan modifications for the E Seam MDWs brought forth in technical revisions to MCC's mine permit issued by the DRMS. This Forest Service concurrence includes post-mining land use direction and protections for non-mineral resources as further described below. In this decision, the FS concurs with the placement of the E Seam MDWs and associated access roads at the locations shown in Appendix B (E Seam MDWs Decision Map,). Specific Components of this project include: • Drilling and casing of up to 168 MDWs located on up to 146 drill locations NFS lands as needed for methane drainage. • Constructing approximately 15.8 miles of new temporary access road, which includes a 0.6-mile rerouting of an existing life-of-mine administrative access road to address issues related to geologic hazards, sedimentation control and maintenance issues. About 2.3 miles of the new temporary access road is in the West Elk Inventoried Roadless Area (IRA). • Using and performing maintenance (upgrading) on approximately 4.8 miles of existing National Forest System Roads (NFSR) and approximately 2.0 miles of existing ATV routes on NFS lands; • Installing passive and/or active degassing equipment; • Operating and maintaining wells for methane drainage while recovering E Seam reserves; • Interim reclamation of mud pits, seeding and mulching outslopes and cut-slopes, • Plugging MDW drill holes when no longer needed and performing final reclamation to support the post-mining land use; • Decommissioning by obliteration all new temporary access roads, and decommissioning existing roads either to desired service level or obliterating them to support the post-mining land uses at end of needed project use. • Converting portions of the Poison Gulch Road (NFSR 711.2C) from a full-sized system road to a System ATV trail (which is the current primary use of the route) at the end of the project; • Conducting contemporaneous final reclamation of the MDW sites to be reviewed annually through the DRMS permitting process; 4