Restrictions on development of mineral materials may result in adverse impacts to exploration and development activities when either closures or prohibitions to surface-disturbing activities apply, because the mineral materials could not be accessed. The intensity of impacts is anticipated to vary by alternative. The more acreage closed or prohibited from surface disturbance, the more the adverse impacts to this development of mineral material resources. In addition, closing areas to mineral materials with known or moderate potential would result in more adverse impacts than closing areas with no or low potential.
Management actions common to all alternatives that would adversely affect mineral materials disposal include closing cave and karst areas and WSAs to mineral materials disposal and prohibiting surface disturbance in the Bighorn River Habitat Management Plan (HMP)/Recreation Area Management Plan (RAMP) tracts and parts of the Yellowtail Wildlife Habitat Management Area. Discussions of individual alternatives describe adverse impacts from closures or prohibitions to surface disturbance.
Under all alternatives, new mineral materials disposal in areas open to mineral materials disposal are subject to site‐specific analysis before approval. Approval of mineral materials disposal would require appropriate mitigation and site‐specific reclamation fees based on a current mining and reclamation plan. The application of mitigation and a site‐specific reclamation fee may prescribe certain activities or mitigation that could reduce the economic viability of mineral materials disposal and result in adverse indirect impacts to mineral materials disposal.
Prohibiting the disposal of topsoil in the Planning Area would result in impacts to mineral materials resources. Adverse impacts would result from the continued unavailability to disposal of this mineral materials resource via sale, permit, or free use to qualified entities.
Alternative A would close a total of 231,854 acres, 6 percent of federal mineral estate in the Planning Area, to mineral materials disposal. Closing these areas to mineral materials disposal would prohibit the development of mineral materials in these areas, if such deposits were present in a closed area. This may result in long‐term adverse impacts to such disposals. Management that prohibits surface‐disturbing activities and closes areas to the disposal of mineral materials would result in more adverse impacts in areas with known or moderate potential for the occurrence of mineral materials.
Disposal of sand and gravel would be closed on 18,078 acres, or 2 percent, of known occurrence areas, and on 1,091 acres, or 18 percent, of moderate potential areas in the Planning Area.
Under Alternative A, surface-disturbing activities including mineral materials disposal would be prohibited to protect certain recreational uses, including fishing and hunting access areas (8,034 acres), Five Springs Falls Campground (40 acres), the Cody archery range (102 acres), and certain R&PP lease areas.
Surface-disturbing activities in The Rivers SRMA would be prohibited. Development of mineral materials may be allowed, on a case-by-case basis, in the following areas: Absaroka Foothills, Bighorn River, and West Slope SRMAs, and the Tour de Badlands, Tatman Mountain, Trapper Creek, Paint Rock, Brokenback/Logging Road, South Bighorns, Canyon Creek, Red Canyon Creek, McCullough Peaks, Horse Pasture, Beck Lake, and Newton Lake Ridge areas.
Closures/prohibitions of surface-disturbing activities resulting from special designations under Alternative A that would adversely affect mineral materials disposal include the fossil-concentration area in the Big Cedar Ridge ACEC (264 acres), Red Gulch Dinosaur Tracksite (1,798 acres) and WSAs (143,974 acres). Closures for segments of certain WSR eligible waterway segments comprise approximately 20,000 acres. This alternative also requires the avoidance of surface-disturbing activities in areas in view within ¼ mile of the Nez Perce (Neeme-poo) NHT and significant segments of Other Trails, potentially placing additional stipulations or mitigation on development activity occurring in those areas.
Management actions for resources that restrict, prohibit, or limit mineral materials disposal would prevent development in these areas. This would result in adverse impacts to mineral materials disposal. Mineral materials disposal are prohibited within 500 feet of surface water and riparian/wetland areas, except where the activity can be mitigated. Mineral materials disposal may be restricted to protect important cultural sites on a case-by-case basis. In addition, on-the-ground surveys and monitoring of surface-disturbing activities in Potential Fossil Yield Classification (PFYC) 5 formations and, on a case-by-case basis, PFYC 4 formations, and prohibitions against resuming activities within 50 feet of a paleontological discovery until the BLM authorized officer so allows, may delay development of the resource or require the relocation of facilities.
Mineral materials disposal would be required to conform to the visual objectives that correspond to each area’s VRM classification. Under Alternative A, approximately 480,315 acres, or 15 percent, of BLM-administered surface is designated as VRM Class I and II areas where changes to the characteristic landscape should be low. Adverse impacts may result where placement and design of facilities and pits associated with salable mineral mining activity would have to be redesigned, resulting in increased project costs. Where impacts could not be mitigated, these areas would be effectively closed to mineral materials disposal. The remainder of the Planning Area is classified as VRM Class III or IV, where activities would generally be allowed subject relatively reduced visual mitigation measures.
Closing public lands to mineral materials disposal would result in similar impacts as those described for Alternative A, although to a greater extent because more land would be closed. Alternative B would close or prohibit surface disturbance, therefore prohibiting mineral materials disposal on a total of 2,599,082 acres, or 62 percent, of federal mineral estate in the Planning Area. Alternative B represents the largest acreage of mineral material closures compared to the other alternatives.
The Absaroka Foothills and Bighorn River SRMAs, and the Basin Gardens Play Area RMZ and Basin Gardens RMZ, are closed to the development of mineral materials under this alternative.
The management of special designations under Alternative B would result in a greater adverse impact on the disposal of mineral materials due to the severity of restrictions and the larger number of these areas in relation to the other alternatives. Specific closures/prohibitions of surface-disturbing activities resulting from special designations include the fossil-concentration area in the Big Cedar Ridge ACEC and the Brown/Howe Dinosaur Area, Carter Mountain, Five Springs Falls, Chapman Bench, Clarks Fork Basin/Polecat Bench, Clarks Fork Canyon, Foster Gulch Paleontological Area, McCullough Peaks South Paleontological Area, Rainbow Canyon, Rattlesnake Mountain, and Sheep Mountain ACECs, approximately 200,000 acres. Other closures/prohibitions include within 3 miles and in view within 5 miles of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center National Historic Landmark, the Nez Perce NHT, and Other Trails, as well as all land in WSAs (143,974 acres). Additionally, closures along segments of certain WSR suitable waterway segments comprise approximately 20,000 acres.
Under Alternative B, all LWCs would be designated as Wild Lands and would be closed to the disposal of mineral materials. Closures on these lands comprise 571,288 acres. Alternatives A, C, and D do not include specific management for mineral materials disposal in LWCs.
Management actions for resources that restrict, prohibit, or limit mineral materials disposal would prevent development in these areas. This would result in adverse impacts to mineral materials disposal. Under Alternative B, adverse impacts to mineral materials would generally be greater than under the other alternatives.
Disposal of mineral materials would be prohibited within ¼ mile of riparian/wetland areas, Class 1 or 2 waters (trout streams), certain rivers, big game crucial winter range (1,313,731 acres), parturition habitat (81,770 acres), and within ¼ mile of waters containing special status fish species.
Mineral materials disposal would be prohibited within 3 miles and in view within 5 miles of important cultural resources. Management to protect paleontological resources may have a greater effect under Alternative B than the other alternatives, because surveys and monitoring would be required for surface disturbance in PFYC 3, 4, and 5 formations, and permission from the authorized officer would be required to resume activities within 100 feet of a paleontological discovery.
VRM Class I and II areas under Alternative B would constitute 1,937,186 acres, or 61 percent, of BLM-administered surface. Impacts to mineral materials disposal would be similar to Alternative A, although to a greater extent because more acreage would be subject to increased VRM restrictions. Alternative B would result in the greatest impacts from constraints associated with VRM classifications.
Closing areas to mineral materials disposal would result in similar impacts as those described for Alternative A, although to a greater extent because more area is closed. Alternative C would close or prohibit surface disturbance on a total of 348,215 acres, or 8 percent, of federal mineral estate in the Planning Area to the disposal of mineral materials, more acreage than under alternatives A and D and less acreage than under Alternative B.
Disposal of sand and gravel would be closed on 36,861 acres, or 4 percent, of known occurrence areas, and closed on 663 acres, or 11 percent, of moderate potential area in the Planning Area. The acreage closed to sand and gravel disposal in known and moderate potential areas is more than under alternatives A and D, but less than under Alternative B.
Managing resource uses under Alternative C would result in the least adverse impacts to mineral materials disposal compared to the other alternatives. Mineral materials operations in the following recreational use areas could be allowed on a case-by-case basis: fishing and hunting access areas, the Five Springs Falls campground, the Cody Archery Range, and certain R&PP lease areas.
Management of special designations under Alternative C would have the least adverse impact on the disposal of mineral materials in relation to the other alternatives. Specific mineral materials disposal closures under this alternative include within ¼ mile and in view within 1 mile of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center National Historic Landmark, the Nez Perce NHT, and Other Trails (with exceptions), as well as on lands in WSAs (142,031 acres). ACECs and other special designations would not adversely affect mineral materials under Alternative C, except in the Brown/Howe Dinosaur Area ACEC, where mitigation, paleontological sensitivity surveys, and monitoring are required for surface-disturbing activities.
Management actions for resources that restrict, prohibit, or limit mineral materials disposal would prevent development in these areas. This would result in adverse impacts to mineral materials disposal. Under Alternative C, adverse impacts to mineral materials disposal would generally be less than under the other alternatives.
Under Alternative C, mineral materials disposal would be allowed in floodplains or riparian/wetland areas on a case-by-case basis.
Areas within ¼ mile and in view within 1 mile of important cultural sites would be closed to disposal of mineral materials. Impacts from management to protect paleontological resources would be similar to Alternative A, except that potential delays due to surveying and monitoring of surface-disturbing activity would affect a smaller area because this management applies only in PFYC 5 areas.
VRM Class I and II areas under Alternative C would constitute 470,978 acres, or 15 percent, of BLM-administered surface. Impacts to mineral materials disposal would be similar to Alternative A, although to a lesser extent because less acreage would be subject to VRM Class I and II restrictions. Alternative C would result in the fewest impacts from constraints associated with VRM classifications.
Alternative D closes the least amount of land to mineral materials disposal, and therefore results in the least impacts to salable minerals compared to the other alternatives. Alternative D would close or prohibit surface disturbance, thereby excluding mineral materials disposal, on a total of 184,193 acres, or 4 percent, of federal mineral estate in the Planning Area, the least of all alternatives.
Alternative D would close 6,710 acres to disposal of sand and gravel, or less than 1 percent of the areas where there is known occurrence of sand and gravel and would not close any area with a moderate potential for occurrence of sand and gravel. The amount of area closed to sand and gravel disposal in known and moderate potential areas is the least of all alternatives, thereby resulting in the fewest adverse impacts.
Under Alternative D, surface-disturbing activities are allowed, including salable minerals exploration and development, in recreational sites and trails on a case-by-case basis if the effects can be avoided or mitigated. While this would result in less of an impact than alternatives A and B, which prohibit surface-disturbing activities near recreation sites, an adverse impact would result from project delays and costs associated with mitigation. Similar impacts would result by requiring avoidance or mitigation for all surface-disturbing activities in the following areas: Absaroka Foothills SRMA; Bighorn River SRMA and ERMA; West Slope of the Bighorns SRMA (including Canyons RMZ and Brokenback/Logging Road RMZ); Middle Fork of the Powder River SRMA; Canyon Creek SRMA; campgrounds, trailheads, day use areas, river access sites, and similar recreation sites in The Rivers SRMA; Basin Gardens Play Area SRMA; and the Horse Pasture SRMA.
Development of mineral materials may be allowed, on a case-by-case basis, in the following areas: Absaroka Mountain Foothills SRMA, Absaroka ERMA, Beck Lake SRMA, Newton Lake Ridge SRMA, Basin Gardens area, and Tour de Badlands and Tatman Mountain RMZs.
Based on the types of restrictions and acreage affected, Alternative D would result in the second-greatest extent of adverse impacts on the disposal of mineral materials from special designations. Specific closures/prohibitions of surface-disturbing activities resulting from special designations include the fossil-concentration area in the Big Cedar Ridge ACEC and the Five Springs Falls, Clarks Fork Canyon, Paleocene-Eocene Thermal Maximum (PETM), and Sheep Mountain ACECs, for a total of 40,620 acres.
Alternative D also would prohibit mineral materials disposal within the 72 acres of the Heart Mountain Relocation Center National Historic Landmark Urban Center, while surface-disturbing activities would be avoided within 3 miles of the Nez Perce (Neeme-poo) NHT and up to 2 miles of other Historic Trails. Under Alternative D, WSAs would be closed to mineral materials disposal (143,974 acres).
While few management actions explicitly prohibit surface-disturbing activities or mineral materials disposal to protect other resources under Alternative D, several management actions require avoidance. Management actions that require avoidance would prohibit surface-disturbing activity unless the impacts can be mitigated, resulting in adverse impacts to mineral materials disposal through increased costs and delays associated with mitigation. Under Alternative D, some of the areas where surface-disturbing activity must be avoided include areas within 500 feet or up to ¼ mile if needed to protect waters of the state and riparian/wetland areas; within ¼ mile of any WGFD-rated Class 1 or 2 fisheries; and within big game crucial winter range from November 15 through April 30.
Alternative D prohibits mineral materials disposal for resource protection in the Chapman Bench Management Area (3,425 acres).
Surface-disturbing activities would be avoided under Alternative D to protect the foreground of important cultural resources up to 3 miles. This would increase costs associated with mitigation or prohibit disposal if the impacts cannot be mitigated, which would adversely affect the disposal of mineral materials. Impacts from management to protect paleontological resources would be similar to Alternative A, except that the monitoring of surface-disturbing activities would occur for PFYC 3, 4, and 5 formations on a case-by-case basis. Permission from the authorized officer would be required to resume activities within 100 feet of a paleontological discovery.
VRM Class I and II areas under Alternative D would constitute 779,883 acres, or 24 percent, of BLM-administered surface. Impacts to mineral materials disposal would be similar to Alternative A, although to a greater extent because more acreage would be subject to more stringent VRM restrictions.