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• No Action Alternative - There would be no impacts on aquatic resources from coal <br />exploration activities. <br />Finding on the Public Land Health Standard for plant and animal communities <br />(partial - see also Vegetation, Wildlife, Terrestrial; and Invasive, Non-native Species): The aquatic habitats in <br />the CEL area would continue to meet public land health standards. <br />WETLANDS & RIPARIAN ZONES (includes a finding on Standard 2) <br />Affected Environment: The riparian/wetland resources on USFS lands (the East and West <br />Terror Creeks) are adequately described in the 2005 Spruce Stomp CEL EA. There are no <br />known wetlands on BLM lands. On the CEL itself, the West Fork of Terror Creek provides the <br />only riparian habitat on BLM lands. In part, due to the high quality riparian habitat along the <br />West Fork, BLM land health standards are being met on the West Fork of Terror Creek (BLM <br />2007b). <br />Environmental Consequences/Mitigation: <br />Proposed Action - No impacts to riparian communities were identified or analyzed in <br />the 2005 Spruce Stomp EA. No direct surface disturbance impacts are proposed for the riparian <br />communities on BLM lands along the West Fork of Terror Creek. There is some minor potential <br />for off-site impacts in the form of sediment deposition within riparian plant communities along <br />the West Fork, East Fork and Terror Creek proper. The design features of the proposed action, <br />which would limit erosion, protect water quality, avoid direct impacts to riparian communities, <br />and meet the requirements of the 2009 and 2010 BAs and USFWS concurrence (Monarch and <br />Associates 2009, BLM 2010c, USFWS 2009, USFWS 2010b), should result in minimal impacts <br />to riparian communities as a result of CEL activities. <br />Cumulative Impacts - Disturbance of wetlands and riparian zones within the Terror <br />Creek watershed would continue to take place as a result of coal mining, livestock grazing, <br />recreation, timber sales, and other human activities. Due to the short-term nature, small acreage <br />impacted, and minimal water use predicted for the CEL activities, it is unlikely that the proposed <br />coal exploration would contribute to a detectable increase in cumulative impacts on riparian <br />systems in the Terror Creek watershed. <br />No Action Alternative - There would be no impacts to wetlands or riparian resources as <br />a result of exploration activities within the CEL area. <br />Finding on the Public Land Health Standard for riparian systems: The riparian <br />systems along the West Fork, East Fork, and Terror Creek proper are currently meeting land <br />health standards for riparian systems (BLM 2007b). Activities associated with the proposed <br />action should not result in these streams failing to meet public land health standards. <br />WATER QUALITY, SURFACE AND GROUND (includes a finding on Standard 5) <br />Affected Environment: There are three named creeks in the immediate area, the East Fork <br />of Terror Creek, the West Fork of Terror Creek, and Terror Creek. The affected environment <br />• associated with surface and alluvial ground water related to these surface waters is well <br />described in the 2005 Spruce Stomp EA. That discussion adequately covers surface and alluvial <br />DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2010- 0017 EA Page 32 of 43 May 2010