Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Definitions
Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
Discussions of environmental consequences in the following sections utilize a general vocabulary
consisting of some of the terms and definitions below:
Types of Impact
Beneficial – A positive change in the condition or appearance of the resource, or a change that
moves the resource toward a desired condition.
Adverse – A change that moves the resource away from a desired condition or detracts from its
appearance or condition.
Direct – An effect that is caused by an action and occurs in the same time and place.
Indirect – An effect that is caused by an action but is later in time or farther removed in distance,
but is still reasonably foreseeable.
Duration of Impact
Permanent – Impact would last indefinitely.
Long term – Impact would likely last more than 2 years, or over the lifetime of the project and
possibly longer, exceeding the project lifetime.
Medium term – Impact would extend past the transition phase, or construction phase for future
developments, but would not last more than 5 years, at most.
Intermittent – Impact would not be constant or continuous but may last indefinitely.
Short term – Impact would occur during a transition phase only, or in the case of potential future
developments, during the site preparation and construction phases only. Once these phases have
ended, resource conditions are likely to return to pre-transition/construction conditions.
Extent of Impact
Large – Impacts would affect the resource on a regional level, extending well past the immediate
project site.
Medium or Localized – Impacts would affect the resource only on the project site or its
immediate surroundings, and would not extend into the region.
Small or Limited – Impacts would affect the resource over a fraction of the project site.
Magnitude of Impact
Major – Substantial impact or change in a resource area that is easily defined, noticeable, and
measurable, or exceeds a standard.
Moderate – Noticeable change in a resource occurs, but the integrity of the resource remains
intact.
Minor – Change in a resource area occurs, but no substantial resource impact results.
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 95