Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Roca Honda Mine

Chapter 2. Alternatives, Including the Proposed Action
Topic Alternative 1 – No Action
Land Use • Current land uses would remain
in place on Sections 9 and 10,
the Federal lands, on Section 16,
the State of New Mexico lands,
as well as on Sections 11, 15, 17,
and 20, the private lands through
which utility corridors and
access roads would be utilized in
the mining operations.
• With existing land uses
remaining as they currently are,
there would be no effects to land
use.
• Overall impact on land use not
significant.
Recreation
• Current recreational uses would
continue on Sections 9 and 10,
the Federal lands; and on Section
16, the State of New Mexico
lands.
• There would be no effects on
recreation to consider, and the
overall impact would be less
than significant.
Alternative 2 – Proposed Action
(Two-shaft alternative)
• RHR would limit access to all of the
development and operations areas to the
extent necessary to protect public safety
and control the work space.
• To the extent that fencing and other access
limiting controls are in place, those areas
would not be available for the current land
uses of grazing, firewood gathering, or
hunting.
• Temporary removal of some of lands as
grazing allotments may have a restorative
effect on forage production within those
parcels on these lands that contain growing
areas.
• Because of the extended range of firearms
and potential danger to mine workers,
hunting activity may be restricted from
access at a distance greater than simply the
perimeter of fencing around the mine.
• The proposed post-mining land use of
grazing is consistent with the Cibola
National Forest LRMP.
• Overall impact on land use, while adverse,
would not be significant.
• Distance of the proposed mine from
designated recreation sites is great enough
that there would be a negligible direct
effect on the recreation experience at these
sites as a result of mining operations.
• Existing recreational activities on and near
the permit itself would be curtailed or
restricted for the duration of the mine, or
approximately two decades.
Alternative 3 – One-shaft
Alternative
• Effects are relatively similar to those of
alternative 2, but on a somewhat smaller
scale.
• Overall impact on land use, while adverse,
would not be significant.
• Adverse effects on recreation are
qualitatively similar to those of alternative
2, but on a somewhat smaller scale.
• Overall impact on recreation would not be
significant.
70 DEIS for Roca Honda Mine, Cibola National Forest