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Cumulative Impacts: Similar to the proposed action. <br />Mitigation/Residual Effects: Similar to the proposed action. <br />Finding on the Public Land Health Standard for Riparian Systems: No public land <br />wetland or riparian resources will undergo a change in condition from of any alternative. None of the <br />alternatives are likely to affect offsite private land wetland resources in any way either. <br />WILDLIFE, AQUATIC (includes a finding on Standard 3) <br />Affected Environment: No aquatic wildlife is known to be present on this parcel and no perennial <br />aquatic habitat exists. See also Wetland section for description of seasonal surface waters, but these do <br />not sustain aquatic wildlife communities. <br />Environmental Effects <br />Proposed Action <br />Direct and Indirect Impacts: There are no direct affects to aquatic wildlife populations from the <br />proposed action. Overland flow / sheet - water, (particularly associated with frozen ground and rapid <br />snowmelt or extreme thunderstorms) does cross this parcel and potentially could transport, then deposit <br />sediments into stream areas without careful planning and designs for storm -water control. Storm -water <br />concerns get addressed however in the permitting process site plan development. No additional <br />stipulations are needed for storm water control. Petroleum type spills could also affect distant water <br />quality and aquatic wildlife if they occur, however, spills are not anticipated and precautions are in <br />place to stop spill impacts. Failure to address either concern will result in measurable indirect affects <br />to offsite areas. <br />Cumulative Impacts: There is extensive recent and historic hydrologic and riparian function <br />loss in areas near to the proposal and within in the larger scale watershed. Undesirable accelerated <br />overland flow runoff to streams is happening from areas adjacent to the area of interest here, and <br />without storm water Best Management Practices (BMPs), this action would be cumulative to the other <br />watershed perturbations. However, runoff is accounted for in the design and permitting processes. <br />Other issues likely will get more attention under this review for importance because protection is <br />possible for riparian health, but potential exists for poor drainage and hazardous spills if there are <br />failures to comply with plans. The ability of this public land parcel to offset adjacent disturbance is <br />minimal due to its size as discussed in the proposed action. Similarly, if mined with potential <br />watershed impacts addressed, this parcels contribution to other perturbations is minimal. In addition, <br />BLM experience with unfenced, un- managed urban parcels shows that they often get driven upon, etc, <br />and vegetation is sometimes compromised regardless of any planned action. Other land management <br />issues may arise as local knowledge of this land being public increases as the potential mining being <br />analyzed has heightened awareness that this land is public. Concerns of changed water chemistry of a <br />cumulative nature have been raised as result of this proposed mine action through public scoping. <br />Specifically: "What happens when naturally occurring, potentially harmful chemicals are exposed <br />through the processes of open pit mining? This is becoming an issue for aquatic life even now from old <br />mine /tailing sites." However, reported in the water quality section, because the material being mined, <br />is not hard rock, or first ever exposed crystalline rock, but rather alluvium, acidic mine waste concerns, <br />or other substantial potential changes to naturally occurring compounds within the rock chemistry <br />signature from exposure due to mining operations is likely not measurable. Water soaking into the pit <br />31 <br />