Arapahoe Basin Ski Area Master Development Plan, Arapaho National Forest, Summit County, CO

SUMMARY: The U.S. Forest Service (Forest Service) has received a Master

Development Plan from Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (A-Basin) to update the

1982 plan presently in effect. The Master Development Plan outlines a

number of ski area modifications and new facilities, including limited

snowmaking and a mid-mountain lodge. A-Basin is located in Summit

County and operates on Arapaho National Forest under a Special Use

Permit issued by the Forest Service. The Forest Service is initiating

the process of preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to

analyze and disclose the effects of the proposed Master Development

Plan and alternatives. Potential alternatives have not yet been

identified.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received

by September 7, 1996.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Tere O'Rourke, District Ranger,

U.S. Forest Service, P.O. Box 620, 680 Blue River Parkway,

Silverthorne, Colorado, 80498. FAX comments to Tere O'Rourke at (970)

468-7735. Oral comments will also be accepted.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Kent Sharp, Winter Sports

Administrator, (970) 468-5400. FAX (970) 468-7735.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Arapahoe Basin Master Development Plan

(MDP) was recently completed to update the 1982 Arapahoe Basin Ski Area

Master Plan (1982 Plan). The 1982 Plan currently guides the Forest

Service in their administration of the ski area's Special Use Permit. A

majority of the upgrades describes within the 1982 Plan have been

implemented, with the exception of the proposed snowmaking facilities.

Given the age and status of the 1982 Plan, the Forest Service and A-

Basin determined that an updated plan would be appropriate at this

time. The MDP includes the following features:

Snowmaking capabilities on 84 acres of terrain (17% of the

total developed terrain) potentially to extend the ski season to

September 1 annually

Potential construction of a one-acre foot capacity pond

for water storage for the snowmaking facilities

Facility upgrades and modifications including: rental shop

upgrade; additional parking and access through a highway underpass; a

utility corridor (for water, wastewater, electricity, and phone); a

mid-mountain day lodge; and alpine slide; Norway lift modifications;

and patrol headquarters building

Mountain biking trails

Hiking/interpretive trails

Details pertaining to these proposed modifications are included in

the MDP, on file at the Forest Service offices in Silverthorne,

Colorado and at the Silverthorne and Frisco libraries. The MDP does not

include expansion of the Forest Service permit boundary, new lifts, new

ski terrain,or an increase in capacity or skiers-at-one-time (SAOT).

The purpose of and need for the proposed MDP are as follows:

Update the 1982 Plan which is out-dated (almost 15 years

old). Most of the improvements described in the 1982 Plan have been

implemented. In addition, new ski area technologies, planning

strategies, and environmental philosophies have emerged during this

time which warrant consideration in an updated plan.

Increase summer recreational opportunities at A-Basin,

potentially to include year-round alpine skiing, mountain biking,

interpretive trails, and an alpine slide. Additional recreational

opportunities would enhance economic activity and employment within

Summit County. In addition, providing for increased recreational

opportunities at A-Basin would be consistent with the White River

National Forest Plan and Forest Service policies encouraging additional

opportunities for summer and winter recreation on National Forest

System land, including the summer use of ski area facilities, where

appropriate.

Provide year-round public skiing opportunities and race

camp experiences for young racers through the employment of snowmaking

to cover approximately 17% of the developed terrain at A-Basin. It

would also provide for fall training facilities for the U.S. Ski Team.

Currently, young racers and U.S. Ski Team members must travel out of

state or out of the country to obtain appropriate training experiences.

Update and improve restaurant, parking, patrol

headquarters, and other facilities at the resort. The proposed facility

improvements would address current deficiencies and enhance the quality

and safety of the resort experience at A-Basin.

Encourage year-round use of the facilities while

maintaining the resort character.

The decision to be made is whether or not to approve and accept the

proposed MDP as a portion of the existing special use permit.

Preliminary issues associated with the MDP include water quality

and quantity; instream flow maintenance; fisheries; wetlands; wildlife;

and recreational compatibility.

A U.S. Army Corps of Engineers ``404 Permit'' for dredging and

filling waters and/or wetlands may be required. The Forest Service will

request the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife

Service to cooperate in the environmental analysis, and may request

cooperation from other State and Federal agencies.

The Forest Service invites comments and suggestions on the scope of

the analysis to be included in the draft environmental impact

statement. In addition, the Forest Service gives notice that it is

beginning a full environmental analysis and decision-making process for

this MDP so that interested or affected people may know how they may

participate in the environmental analysis and contribute to the final

decision. The public scoping meetings are scheduled for Monday August

12, 1996 from 7:30-9:30 pm at the Silverthorne Recreation Center, 430

Rainbow Drive, Silverthorne, Colorado; and Tuesday, August 13, 1996

from 7:00-9:00 pm at the Forest Service Regional Office, 740 Simms

Street, Golden, Colorado. The purpose of these meetings is to learn

what issues and concerns members of the public or interested agencies

have that are associated with the proposal and should

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be considered. Knowledge of these issues and concerns will help

establish the scope of the Forest Service environmental analysis and

define the kind and range of alternatives to be considered. Forest

Service officials and the proponent will describe and explain the

proposed actions and the process of environmental analysis and

disclosure to be followed in evaluating the MDP. The Forest Service

welcomes any public comments on the MDP.

The Responsible Official: Sonny LaSalle, Forest Supervisor, White

River National Forest, P.O. Box 948, Glenwood Springs, CO. 81602.

We expect to publish the draft environmental impact statement in

late 1996 or early 1997, to ask for public comment for a period of 45

days, and to complete a final environmental impact statement in mid

1997.

The 45-day public comment period on the draft environmental impact

statement will commence on the day the Environmental Protection Agency

publishes a ``Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.

The Forest Service believes it is important to give reviewers

notice at this early stage 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 U.S. 519,

553, (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, 803 F.2d

1016, 1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc., v. Harris,

490 F. Supp. 1334, 1338 (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 on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing

the procedural provision of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40

CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.) Please note that comments you

make on the draft environmental impact statement will be regarded as

public information.

Dated: August 2, 1996.

Veto J. LaSalle,

White River National Forest, Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 96-20325 Filed 8-8-96; 8:45 am]

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