Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 3. Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences
access at a distance greater than simply the perimeter of fencing around the protected areas of the
mine, which may be the limit for the grazing land use or firewood gathering land use.
Other forms of general recreation that may include hiking and similar activities would continue
within Sections 9 and 10 where access is not restricted by fencing.
Minerals Management
The forest plan identifies concerns about minerals management related to conflicts with other
resource protection, uses, and activities. There are also issues related to unknown mineral
potential and limited access for exploration. The Roca Honda Mine operations plan (RHR, 2012)
systematically addresses these issues and facilitates the minerals management opportunities
provided for as one of the multiple uses of the forest plan.
Transportation
As indicated above, the roads within Sections 9 and 10 are open system roads not designated for
motor vehicle use. Public transportation in these sections is, therefore, already restricted and,
therefore, no effects are anticipated with regard to public use. Transportation improvements in the
form of access roads are planned for the project that will facilitate efficient movement of minerelated
traffic.
As the project moves out of the reclamation stage, some of the road improvements made for the
project would remain in place. This would enhance the grazing management post-mining land
use, in particular, by allowing more efficient access to grazing allotments for maintenance and
management purposes. An undetermined level of maintenance would be necessary for these roads
which is likely to require more resources than is currently the situation in these sections.
Electronic Site Management
The forest plan identified a latent demand for electronic sites in the district. This alternative will
do nothing to increase or decrease the opportunity for implementing more electronic sites, and
there are no known sites in existence or in the planning stages.
Unauthorized Use
The existence of the Roca Honda Mine and the presence of mining personnel during mine
development, mine operations, and mine reclamation could provide a complementary balance for
the inadequacies of Forest Service law enforcement identified by the forest plan. The mine would
have its own security personnel, who won’t have jurisdiction beyond mining permit areas, but the
mere presence of additional personnel in the area may be a deterrent to some unauthorized use.
Once the mine-related transportation network is developed, this could also foster increased
attraction for unauthorized use. The increased incentive would be counterbalanced by the
presence of personnel while the mine is active, but this will not be the case once the mine is
closed.
Alternative 2
All Federal lands of Sections 9 and 10 are designated as part of the mine permit area. Mine
development and operations activities in Section 9 are limited to construction of ventilation shafts
DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest 253