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Finding on the Public Land Health Standard for Healthy and Productive Plant <br />Communities <br />The BLM Standard for Public Health #3 states that "Healthy, productive plant and animal <br />communities of native and other desirable species are maintained at viable population levels <br />commensurate with the species and habitat's potential. Plants and animals at both the <br />community and population level are productive, resilient, diverse, and vigorous, and able to <br />reproduce and sustain natural fluctuations and ecological processes." This standard is currently <br />being met in the project area. During mining operations the standard will not be met in the <br />project area since the native plants will be removed and the habitat for the affected plants and <br />animals will be totally altered. After mining operations are over, revegetation will be established <br />to BLM's standards. <br />2.4.8 Visual Resources <br />The proposed project area and vicinity is currently classified as Visual Resource Management <br />(VRM) designation of Class III as established in the Grandview Ridge Management Plan and <br />Environmental Assessment (2000), which is a tier to the San Juan/San Miguel Resource <br />Management Plan (1985). Under VRM Class III objectives, the existing character of the <br />landscape should be partially retained and changes to the characteristic landscape should be <br />moderate. Activities may attract attention, but should not dominate the view of the casual <br />observer. Changes should repeat the basic elements found in the predominant natural features of <br />the characteristic landscape. In summary, activities may attract attention, but should not <br />dominate the view (BLM 1986). <br />Analysis of existing visual resource conditions in the project area was completed in November <br />2007 by SWCA Environmental Consultants (SWCA). SWCA documented characteristics of <br />existing viewsheds and establish key observation points (KOPs) for viewshed analysis. A report <br />summarizing this analysis, Visual Analysis and Existing Conditions Report, Grandview Ridge <br />Mineral Emphasis Area, is included in the project file (SWCA 2007). The analysis, which <br />evaluated existing conditions at nine KOP locations (see Figure 3 for KOP locations), was <br />completed in accordance with BLM Handbook H-8410-1 Visual Resource Management <br />guidelines (BLM 1986). An additional KOP location on the Farmington Hill (KOP 5, Highway <br />550) was subsequently identified in January 2008, and visual contrast rating analysis was <br />completed at all ten KOP locations to assess potential effects to visual resources from the <br />Proposed Action. <br />As a result of the analysis, five key viewsheds have been identified within the project area: <br />• the Colorado State Highway 160 Corridor, which is used as a regional tourism and local <br />transportation corridor; <br />• the Animas River Valley, which is used primarily for rural, light commercial/industrial, and <br />residential land uses; <br />• the Grandview rural residential and suburban neighborhoods; <br />• recreational trails in the Grandview Ridge area, including Sale Barn Canyon and Big <br />Canyon Trails, and <br />• the U.S. 550 KOP <br />Grandview Gravel Pit Expansion Environmental Assessment 36