Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Clear Creek Skiing Corporation's Revised Master Development Plan; Arapaho National Forest; Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley Ski Areas; Clear Creek County, CO

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for the Clear

Creek Skiing Corporation's Revised Master Development Plan; Arapaho

National Forest; Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley Ski Areas; Clear

Creek County, CO

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National

Grassland is proposing to determine whether to approve a revision to

the Master Development Plan for Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley Ski

areas. The revision is to the Master Development Plan that was approved

by the Forest Service on March 1, 1997. Loveland Basin and Loveland

Valley ski areas are operated by Clear Creek Skiing Corporation and

located entirely on National Forest System lands. Clear Creek

Corporation was issued a 40-year permit on January 26, 1994 that

included a clause requiring them to complete the Master Development

Plan within 5 years.

The Master Development Plan revision includes new skiing terrain,

two new lifts, additional parking, upgraded base area facilities, lift

replacements, additional snowmaking lines, and a backcountry ski

touring area.

The purpose of the actions proposed by Clear Creek Skiing

Corporation is to provide the highest quality skiing experience by

providing a wide variety of skiing experience, quality base area

facilities, and balanced capacities. Some of the lifts at the ski areas

are twenty years old or older and in need of replacement. The existing

condition indicates a large imbalance of excess trail capacity over

lift capacity.

The replacement of several lifts with fixed-grip quad chairs will

allow for greater life capacities. The addition of two new lifts, and

the addition of new skiing terrain will allow a diversity of experience

for beginner, intermediate and expert skiers. Additional snowmaking

lines will allow for the coverage of high wear areas and for opening

the ski areas early to accommodate large crowds during the holidays.

Many of the facilities at the ski areas are in need of renovation and

expansion to accommodate expected growth.

The proposed action at Loveland Basin ski area is to (1) Replace

three lifts with fixed-grip quad chairs, remove a poma lift, add a new

lift to access 75 acres of difficult and extreme skiing; (2) Glade

terrain to add 18 acres of additional skiing; (3) Add approximately

4,500 linear feet of subgrade piping for snowmaking under two

chairlifts. No additional water diversion is required; (4) Replace,

renovate and/or add to existing facilities including ticket office,

rental and repair shop, retail sales and storage, and improvement of

entry and skier plaza.

The proposed action at Loveland Valley ski area is to (1) Replace

one lift with a fixed-grip quad and add a new fixed-grip quad; (2) Add

71 acres of new terrain for easy and more difficult skiing; (3) Add

snowmaking lines to cover 45 acres of the new terrain; (4) Add a

ticketing and restroom facilities near the proposed new lift and an

addition to the existing lodge for daycare and additional restaurant

seating; (5) Add a 500-car parking lot above the existing eastern

parking lot.

Also proposed is providing guided backcountry skiing into the east

face of Mount Trelease, adjacent to Loveland Basin ski area, located

outside of the permit boundary but in an area designated as 1-B-2 which

provides for potential winter sports sites in the Arapaho and Roosevelt

and Pawnee National Grasslands Forest Plan of 1984.

The purpose of the Environmental Impact Statement is to determine

the environmental effects of the proposed action and of any reasonable

alternative actions that would also achieve the purpose and need while

addressing significant issues raised through public comment and agency

review.

The purpose of this Notice is to inform you that the Forest

Service, with the assistance of a third party contractor, is soliciting

your comments and concerns about this proposed action.

The environmental analysis and decision-making process will include

opportunities for public participation and comment so that people

interested in this proposal may contribute to the final decision.

The Forest Service is now seeking written comments and suggestions

on the scope of the analysis. Comments relevant to scoping include: (1)

Identifying potential issues, (2) identifying those issues to be

analyzed in depth, (3) eliminating insignificant issues, (4)

identifying additional alternatives to the proposed action that should

be considered; (5) identifying potential environmental effects on the

proposed action and alternatives. General notice to the public

concerning the scope of the analysis will be provided by mailings, news

releases and a field trip.

DATES: Comments related to the scope of the analysis should be received

by October 31, 1994 to ensure timely consideration.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions to Corey P. Wong,

District Ranger, Clear Creek Ranger District, 101 Chicago Creek, P.O.

Box 3307, Idaho Springs, Colorado, 80452.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Sue Greenley, Project Coordinator, Clear Creek Ranger District, 101

Chicago Creek, P.O. Box 3307, Idaho Springs, Colorado, 80452, (303)

567-2901.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley ski areas

have operated under special use permit since 1937 on National Forest

System lands administered by the Arapaho and Roosevelt National

Forests. The permit covers 2,300 acres of National Forest System land,

the area where these projects are proposed.

The ski areas operate in accordance with the Master Development

Plan that was approved by the Forest Service on March 1, 1977. Specific

operations on National Forest Service lands are authorized under a

special use permit issued by the Forest Service on January 26, 1994.

The proposed action is consistent with the long-range goals for

this area as defined in the Land and Resource Management Plan for the

Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests and Pawnee National Grassland,

approved on May 4, 1984. Under that Forest Plan, the area encompassed

by Loveland Basin and Loveland Valley ski areas is assigned to

management under prescription 1B-1. This management prescription

provides management emphasis for the provision of downhill skiing on

existing downhill sites. The purpose of prescription 1B-1 is to

integrate ski area development and use with other resource management

to provide healthy tree stands, vegetative diversity, forage production

for wildlife and livestock, and opportunities for nonmotorized

recreation.

The proposed area for guided backcountry skiing, adjacent to

Loveland Basin ski area, is assigned to management under prescription

1B-2. This management prescription provides for potential winter sports

sites. The purpose of prescription 1B-2 is for these sites to be

maintained for future downhill skiing recreation opportunities and

recreation opportunities focus on dispersed recreation uses. Vegetation

treatment focuses on perpetuating a healthy forest. The Forest Service

does not anticipate the need for any amendments to the Land and

Resource Management Plan as a result of this proposal.

A range of reasonable alternatives to the proposed action will be

considered in the analysis. Reasonable alternatives are those which

fulfill the purpose and need for the proposals and address significant

issues that are identified during the scoping process. The only

specific alternative that has been identified at this time is the ``no

action'' alternative. If the ``no action'' alternative is selected, the

proposed project would not take place at this time.

The analysis will address major issues and concerns about the

proposed action and alternatives and will disclose the direct and

indirect impacts related to those issues. The following tentative

issues have been identified: (1) Impacts to wetlands and floodplains;

(2) Impacts to water quality; (3) Impacts to threatened and endangered

species; (4) Impacts to visual quality; (5) Impacts to downhill skiers.

It is anticipated that the Draft Environmental Impact Statement

will be published by November 30, 1994. The Final Environmental Impact

Statement will be completed in March, 1995.

The comment period on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement will

be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency publishes

the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important

to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public

participation in the environmental review process. First, reviewers of

draft Environmental Impact Statements must structure their

participation in the environmental review of the proposal so that it is

meaningful and alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp v. NRDC 435 US 519, 533

(1978). Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the

Draft Environmental Impact Statement stage but that are not raised

until after completion of the Final Environmental Impact Statement may

be waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel (9th

Circuit, 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F. Supp.

1334 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings it is very

important that those interested in this proposed action participate by

the close of the 45 day comment period so that substantive comments and

objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it

can meaningfully consider them and respond to them in the Final

Environmental Impact Statement.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement should be as specific as possible. It is

also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the

draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the Draft

Environmental Impact Statement or the merits of the alternatives

formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer

to the Council of Environmental Quality regulations for implementing

the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at

40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

Dated: September 22, 1994.

Corey P. Wong,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 94-24661 Filed 10-4-94; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M