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• <br />Environmental Consequences/Mitigation: <br />Proposed Action - Approximately 13 acres would be disturbed as a result of this action. <br />Vegetation on portions of this acreage has been previously disturbed. Road construction and <br />drill pad construction would completely remove vegetation. After completion of the exploration <br />activities, approximately 8.2 acres of new roads, refurbished roads, and drill sites would be <br />seeded and reclaimed by the fall of 2012. Livestock grazing on the reseeded well pad locations <br />could damage or cause the failure of reclamation efforts. After reclamation, 4.8 acres, <br />predominantly mountain shrubs would remain devoid of vegetation for the life of the monitoring <br />well at drill-hole 2010-1. Of the 4.8 acres, 4.3 acres are located on existing roads that have been <br />in place for many years, and are likely to remain in use for a longer period than the monitoring <br />well. Consequently, the new vegetation loss would be limited to approximately 0.5 acres for the <br />life of the monitoring well. With the measures included in Bowie's proposed action, and the <br />following mitigation, most effects to vegetation are expected to be short-term and low. <br />Mitigation - Mitigation contained in the Conditions of Use (Appendix A) apply to USFS <br />lands. <br />For BLM lands: <br />1) Disturbed sites on BLM lands would be reseeded using the BLM stipulated seed mix <br />and methods as described in Bowie's proposed action. <br />2) In order to preclude livestock grazing on reclaimed well pads, pad locations will be <br />fenced as directed by the AO. Fencing will remain in place for two years or until the <br />AO determines that the plant community is established enough to accommodate <br />livestock use. <br />Cumulative Impacts - Over the long-term, when combined with other vegetation impacts <br />such as timber sales, off road vehicles, road construction and livestock grazing, the proposed <br />exploration would have a minimal effect on cumulative impacts to vegetation conditions on the <br />Terror Creek watershed or the southern slopes of Grand Mesa. <br />No Action Alternative - There would be no impacts to vegetation communities as a <br />result of coal exploration activities. <br />Finding on the Public Land Health Standard for plant and animal communities <br />(partial, see also Wildlife, Aquatic; Wildlife, Terrestrial; and Invasive, Non-native Species): <br />Vegetation communities on BLM lands in the CEL area would continue to meet Public Land <br />Health Standard 3. <br />INVASIVE, NON-NATIVE SPECIES (includes a finding on Standard 3) <br />Affected Environment: The description of Invasive and non-native species occurrences <br />in the 2005 Spruce Stomp EA provides good background information for invasive and noxious <br />weed species in Delta County, and on USFS lands in the CEL area. However, since the <br />completion of the original Spruce Stomp EA there have been some additions to the list that occur <br />specifically in Terror Creek and the project area: scentless chamomile (Matricaria perforate), <br />oxeye daisy (Chrysanthemum leucanthemum), Russian knapweed (Acroptilon repens), and <br />Canada thistle (Cirsium arvense). Potential invaders that are adjacent to the project area include: <br />DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2010- 0017 EA Page 20 of 43 May 2010