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extensive. Construction material extraction directly responds to industry demand and gold extraction is <br />based on market demand, which is currently high. <br />Air Quality - New air pollutant emissions resulting from a Proposed Destiny Mine in Park County <br />would be cumulative to emissions from the other 546 point sources existing in Colorado and seven <br />sources in Park County (http: / /www.epa.gov /air /data/reports.html). Emissions from the new source <br />will augment total emissions of CAAQS criteria air pollutants in Park County and Colorado but are <br />unlikely to be noticeable on a statewide basis relative to other sources. Dust generation from Destiny <br />Mine (sand and gravel portion of the operation) truck traffic would be cumulative to homeowner, <br />recreational, and other traffic along the un -paved stretch of Big Thompson Park Road. As in direct and <br />indirect impacts, cumulative impacts to air quality resulting from a Proposed Destiny Mine are <br />dependent on mitigation and considered long -term but moderate to immediate for homeowners and <br />nearby recreational users, long -term and minor to Park County, and long -term but negligible to <br />Colorado and Class I areas. <br />Geology and Mineral Resources - Currently there are approximately five active mines permitted with <br />CDRMS located within the same local region as the proposed mine (Figure 10). All of these operations <br />are mining sand and gravel, but two of them are also mining gold. Most of the present day mining has <br />been occurring in this area since the early 1980's. Gold is a valuable resource that has is not <br />widespread in its occurrence, which limits the ability of a mining operation to be completely selective <br />in mining locations. Although the gold resources in the United States are only a small portion of global <br />gold resources, any stateside gold extraction helps contribute to the United States supply and global <br />market. <br />Noxious Weeds - This BLM parcel is located in close proximity to a small urban area with many <br />varied uses including, but not limited to, motorized recreation, building developments, livestock <br />grazing, hiking and horseback riding. These activities are expected to continue and increase in the <br />future. Noxious weed infestations in the project area could potentially spread to other areas. <br />Terrestrial Wildlife - The project area is located on an 80 acre parcel of BLM approximately 1 /4 mile <br />from the city of Fairplay and is surrounded by private land. The adjacent private land is subdivided <br />and developed with roads and homes present. It is likely that terrestrial wildlife that is currently <br />present has been habituated to the exurban development; however, the carrying capacity for most <br />species has likely been reduced in the vicinity. Recreational activities (hunting, OHV riding, mountain <br />biking, snowmobiling, etc.) are occurring and are reasonably certain to continue on the adjacent private <br />lands. This project would result in a moderate disturbance in a small area. The proposed action will <br />likely cause an additive negative impact to terrestrial wildlife when viewed in conjunction with <br />activities currently occurring and reasonably certain to occur on adjacent private lands. However, the <br />impact will be minimal when viewed at a landscape scale. <br />Migratory Birds - This project would result in a moderate disturbance in a small area. The proposed <br />action will likely cause a slight negative impact to migratory birds when viewed in conjunction with <br />activities currently occurring and reasonably certain to occur on adjacent private lands. However, the <br />impact will be minimal when viewed at a landscape scale. <br />Socioeconomics - It assumed that the effects from past activities have already been absorbed by local <br />communities and are represented in the affected environment. Any change in the social and economic <br />environment as a result of this management alternative would be in addition to other mining activities <br />occurring simultaneously in the region as well as those that could reasonably occur in the future. Each <br />project may have a very small effect on the social and economic conditions of the study area <br />individually; however, cumulatively, they could substantially change the distribution of jobs and <br />income, as well as affect many of the social variables discussed above. <br />52 <br />