Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests; Colorado; Federal Coal Lease Modifications COC-1362 & COC-67232

Résumé

The Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) is considering whether or not to consent to Bureau of Land Management (BLM) modifying the Federal Coal Leases COC-1362 and COC- 67232 by adding 800 and 922 acres, respectively, to them. If the GMUG does consent to lease, it will prescribe conditions (as stipulations) for the protection of non-mineral resources. BLM will, in turn, decide whether or not to grant lease modifications and will further decide, if leased, whether or not to permit on-lease exploration consistent with lease terms. Subsequent mine plan modification activities may be permitted by Office of Surface Mining Reclamation and Enforcement (OSM). Previous GMUG and BLM analyses and decisions were vacated by U.S. District Court for Colorado (1:13-cv-01723-RBJ) on September 11, 2014 for issues related to econonic analysis on the agencies' leasing analysis and BLM's exploration analysis of recreation impacts and a redundant road. A Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) is being prepared to correct Court-identified deficiencies and to update analysis, as needed, since the Final EIS in 2012 and BLM's Environmental Assessment (EA) in 2013. The leas