Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact South Fowl ...
Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact South Fowl ...
Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact South Fowl ...
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then did a rough estimate <strong>of</strong> length <strong>of</strong> the feature, Royal Lake cliffs are about 1.4<br />
miles long. There are about 68.8 miles <strong>of</strong> this feature <strong>of</strong> which 48.5 (70%) are<br />
within the Vento Unit. The north route <strong>of</strong> this proposal would affect at most 2.7<br />
(.003%) acres (EA pg 41) <strong>of</strong> the Rove Slate complex <strong>and</strong> at most one mile <strong>of</strong><br />
feature (1.4%). Cumulatively no other motorized routes from Gunflint Lake to<br />
<strong>South</strong> <strong>Fowl</strong>, (road or trail) exists that is located next to, or affects, any <strong>of</strong> the steep<br />
slope features. Further, the impacts from this project are from over-the-snow<br />
winter travel.<br />
Put into context, the impact on .003% <strong>of</strong> the Rove Slate complex or 1.4% <strong>of</strong> the<br />
geological feature is not significant. The numbers in the above paragraph<br />
demonstrate that a majority <strong>of</strong> the Rove Slate complex is contained within the<br />
Vento Unit <strong>of</strong> the BWCAW, which has management guidance prepared under<br />
wilderness law.<br />
Figure 10. Wooly’s Bluff, an example <strong>of</strong> geological features analyzed for this<br />
project.<br />
2. Potential for soil erosion has been raised as an issue. I’ve reviewed similar<br />
snowmobile trails on the Gunflint District, as well as those recently constructed<br />
<strong>and</strong> I have witnessed that our construction techniques <strong>and</strong> the uses by sleds has<br />
not led to erosion. Further, the base <strong>of</strong> parent material upon which the northern<br />
route would be placed, is such that water seeps downward rather than runs<br />
overl<strong>and</strong>. This is due to the rocky nature <strong>of</strong> the parent material <strong>and</strong> the shallow<br />
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