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• <br />and a 10 to 15 year loss of forage (0.02 AUMs) on 0.5 acres of the monitoring well pad. Neither <br />the small forage losses described above nor the slight improvement in forage that may result <br />from reclamation of the disturbed areas would result in any detectable direct impact to livestock <br />grazing use on the Stevens Gulch Common Allotment. Both the Stevens Gulch Common and <br />Upper Terror Creek allotments could experience some disturbance of livestock, and other effects <br />such as failure to close gates, which could impact livestock distribution. There are no rangeland <br />management facilities on BLM lands that would be impacted by upgrading the existing access <br />road or development of the 2010-1 well pad. <br />Mitigation: See the vegetation section of this analysis. The USFS conditions of use in <br />Appendix A would apply. <br />Cumulative Impacts - The minimal acreage of surface disturbance associated with the <br />drill holes and access roads are likely to have a detectable impact on the cumulative effects on <br />livestock grazing in the Terror Creek watershed. <br />No Action Alternative - No effects on livestock grazing would take place as a <br />consequence of coal exploration activities. <br />HYDROLOGY AND WATER RIGHTS <br />Affected Environment: The 2005 Spruce Stomp EA adequately describes the hydrologic <br />and water rights situation pertinent to this action. The addition of the additional disturbance on <br />BLM lands does not result in a change to the existing environment. <br />Environmental Consequences/Mitigation: <br />Proposed Action - Potential impacts to hydrology and water rights as described in the <br />2005 Spruce Stomp EA remain accurate for the proposed action. <br />Mitigation: Mitigation for USFS lands is included in Appendix A. No additional <br />mitigation is proposed for BLM lands. <br />NOISE <br />Affected Environment: The current conditions in the CEL area are adequately described in <br />the 2005 Spruce Stomp EA, and would also be applicable to BLM lands. <br />Environmental Consequences/Mitigation: <br />Proposed Action - As described in the 2005 Spruce Stomp EA, livestock, wildlife, and <br />recreation users would experience a short-term increase in ambient noise levels as a result of <br />road rehabilitation/construction and drilling activities. Livestock and wildlife would be expected <br />to avoid the area immediately around equipment operations. Considering the amount of <br />available habitat on USFS and BLM lands this short-term displacement is unlikely to result in <br />any detectable effect on livestock operations or wildlife populations. Recreation users may <br />experience a reduction in the quality of their experience for the duration of the construction and <br />drilling activities. <br />Mitigation: None <br />DOI-BLM-CO-S050-2010- 0017 EA Page 36 of 43 May 2010