2008-06-09_PERMIT FILE - C1980007 (5)

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• • reclaimed areas. The proposed action includes construction and use of about 22.6 miles of roads (15.8 miles of new and 6.8 miles existing road and ATV trail upgrade) necessary for these operations, which includes a 0.6 mile re- routing of an existing life of mine access road. Operations related to these authorizations are expected to begin in summer 2007. The Forest Service proposed action includes granting relief from the lease stipulation on federal coal lease C-1362 that restricts activities between December 1 and April. 30 for the protection of big game winter range to facilitate construction of the Deer Creels shaft. Specific details of operations to be conducted under the proposed action are described in Chapter 2. Location of Proposed Action The Deer Creek ventilation shaft and escapeway is located in NE'/4 Section 32, Township 13 South, Range 90 West, 6th Principal Meridian, in Gunnison County, Colorado (approximately 1,800 feet southeast of Miimesota Reservoir) on federal coal lease C-1362. The proposed E seam methane drainage well development is located in Sections 26-29 and 32-35, Township 13 South, Range 90 West and in Sections 1-5, and 9-11, Township 14 South, Range 90 West, 6th Principal Meridian, in Guimison County, Colorado (approximately 7 to 10 miles east and northeast of Paonia, Colorado) on federal coal leases C-1362, COC-56447 and COC-67232 (Figure 1). Summary Description of the Proposed Action Activity in Inventoried Roadless Areas Portions of the Proposed Action would occur on federal coal leasesZ that are in the West Elk IRA. Approximately 2.3 miles of road construction (including a 0.6 mile re-route of an existing life of mine road) is proposed on these leases within the West Elk IRA. The road Purpose of and Need forAcfion construction is necessary for access to 24 sites for methane drainage wells. Twenty-one of these sites would be located in the IRA. The Proposed Action includes 17 methane drainage well. sites in the IRA (Figure 3). Roads associated with accessing methane drainage wells may be constructed or reconstructed in the West Elk IRA under the exception stated in the Roadless Area Conservation Rule of 2001 (RACR}: • Exception No. 7 -roads are needed for the continuation, extension, renewal of a mineral lease on lands that were under lease as of 1/12/2001. Additional details regarding the use of this exception are -given in Chapter 2. In compliance with the RACR, conditions attached to the Forest Service concurrence to the state permitting action would be consistent with provisions at 36 CFR 294.12 (b) (7) which requires road construction and reconstruction on mineral leases to "be conducted in a manner that minimizes effects on surface resources, prevents unnecessary or unreasonable surface disturbance, and complies with all applicable lease requirements, land and resource management plan direction, regulations, and laws." Also consistent with that provision of RACR, the Forest Service will require the operator to decommission all roads by obliteration when no longer needed for the purposes of the leases. Roads proposed in the IRA would be for project and administrative use only, and would not be available for public use (Table 2-1). Authorizing Actions The Forest Service manages mineral resources in accordance with the Mining and Minerals Policy Act of 1970, which. states, in part, that it is the "continuing policy of the federal government in the national interest to foster and encourage private enterprise in the development of economically sound and stable domestic mining minerals and mineral reclamation industries, ... (and) the orderly and 'Specific information about the individual federal coal leases involved in the project is described in the section, Federal Coal Leases. Deer Creek Ventilation Shaft and E Seam Methane Drainage Wells FEIS 3