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Decision Notice <br />and <br />Finding of No Significant Impact <br />Conger Rock Harvesting Project <br />Aspen-Sopris Ranger District <br />White River National Forest <br />Gunnison County, Colorado <br />T11 S, R88W, Section 21 and 22 <br />Decision <br />This notice documents my decision for the Conger Rock Harvesting project. An environmental <br />analysis of the proposal was undertaken in response to a plan of operations submitted by Gallegos <br />.Corporation; the plan outlines a request for removal of mineral materials located on National <br />Forest System (NFS) lands near Marble, Colorado. In this case, the desired material is considered <br />decorative rock comprised mostly of granodiorite and quartz monzonite found within a natural <br />talus deposit. <br />The Gallegos Corporation has been removing the same rock down slope on private land since <br />1998 under State of Colorado and Gunnison County permits and requested to continue harvesting <br />from adjacent forest lands. Gallegos owns the 7.84-acre private property adjacent south to the <br />affected area (NE %4 Section 28) where the past operations have occurred and this site would <br />continue to serve as a staging area for future operations. Attached to the land title is a perpetual <br />non-exclusive easement across private land located in NW %4 NW %4 of Section 27 for all <br />purposes of ingress and egress between their property and County Road 3. <br />After considering information provided in the environmental assessment (EA), design criteria, <br />public comments, consultation with other agencies, review of the White River National Forest <br />Land and Resource Management Plan, and internal Forest Service specialist input, I have decided <br />to select the proposed action, which authorizes Gallegos Corporation to remove rock from NFS <br />lands as described in this notice. <br />My decision allows up to 1,244 tons of decorative rock to be removed between June 21 and <br />October 31 (or the first snow, whichever comes first) each year. The operation will be initially <br />limited to a 5.86-acre area located in the SE '/4 SE '/4 of Section 21 (see EA, Figure 2). Expansion <br />of the rock harvesting north and east into Section 22 will be considered once it is determined <br />suitable material has been exhausted in the initial harvest area and will be subject to additional <br />review under the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA). <br />Authorization to remove rock will be granted through a Contract for the Sale of Mineral Materials <br />(form FS-2800-9), which expires after one year. Additional contracts can be issued and will be <br />subject to the company submitting a new request each year and re-evaluation by the Forest <br />Service. With this type of contract, the Forest Service will be monitoring operations periodically <br />throughout the season in order to verify quantity of material removed and compliance with <br />contract stipulations. <br />Decision Notice and FONSI for Conger Rock Harvesting