Bridger Bowl Ski Area Permit Renewal and Master Plan Update Gallatin National Forest, Gallatin County, Montana

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Bridger Bowl Ski Area Permit Renewal and Master Plan Update

Gallatin National Forest, Gallatin County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact

statement (EIS) to disclose the environmental effects of work planned

to be accomplished over the next 10-15 years at Bridger Bowl ski area

which includes expansion of the existing facilities to improve beginner

skier terrain; increase skier opportunities on the mountain; improve

parking facilities and increase snow making capacity. The proposal

would expand the ski area boundary to the north into the Bradley Meadow

and Northwest Passage areas and expand the ski area boundary to the

south into the Pine-Slushman area. Several new runs would be developed

as well as two surface lifts to the ridge and two new chair lifts.

Existing chair lifts would be reconfigured and/or replaced. The base

area would be expanded and sewage facilities upgraded.

Implementation of the proposal would require a Forest Plan

amendment to change the land management allocation for the area

adjacent to the existing ski area from a semi-primitive recreation and

wildlife habitat emphasis to a developed winter recreation (ski area)

emphasis.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before

July 28, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposed

management activities or a request to be placed on the project mailing

list to Gene Gibson, District Ranger, Bozeman Ranger District, Gallatin

National Forest, 3710 Fallon St, Suite C, Bozeman, Montana, 59718-1911.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Nancy Halstrom, EIS Team Leader, Bozeman Ranger District, Gallatin

National Forest, Phone (406) 587-6920.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Bridger Bowl ski area is located in Bridger

Canyon about 16 miles northeast of Bozeman, Montana. The area is

operated by the Bridger Bowl Corporation, a non-profit Montana

corporation. Bridger Bowl owns about 326 acres of the lower mountain;

is in the process of procuring 120 acres of land it has leased from the

State of Montana; and is authorized through a special use permit to use

about 1,153 acres of national forest land for recreational skiing

purposes.

Skiing began in the early 1940's by local enthusiasts from the

Bozeman area. In 1950, the State of Montana acquired 120 acres of

private land to be used in conjunction with the ski area. By 1952, the

local residents had organized and constructed the first commercial rope

tow and base lodge with volunteer help and private donations. The non-

profit corporation was organized in 1954 to maintain and operate the

ski area. It was originally known as the Bozeman State Park Recreation

Association. The Forest Service issued the first special use permit for

the ski area in 1954. The ski area has grown to sevel lifts and about

600 acres of developed ski trails.

Bridger Bowl Inc. has submitted a Master Plan proposal to the

Gallatin National Forest which covers their plans for continuation of

their special use authorization to operate on national forest lands.

The Master Plan includes a series of work divided into three phases to

be accomplished over the next 10-15 years.

The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of

these will be the ``no action'' alternative, in which none of the

proposed activities would be implemented. Additional alternatives will

examine varying levels and locations for the proposed activities to

achieve the proposal's purposes, as well as to respond to the issues

and other resources values.

The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative

environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and projected

activities on both private and National Forest lands will be

considered. The EIS will disclose the analysis of site-specific

mitigation measures and their effectiveness.

Public participation is an important part of the analysis,

commencing with the initial scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7), which will

occur June 1997 to July 1997. In addition, the public is encouraged to

visit with Forest Service officials at any time during the analysis and

prior to the decision. The Forest Service will be seeking information,

comments, and assistance from Federal, State, and local agencies and

other individuals or organizations who may be interested in or affected

by the proposed action. The proposed will be presented at two Open

Houses at the Bozeman Ranger Distrct Office on Monday, June 23. The

representatives will be at 3:00 pm and at 7:00 pm. Representatives from

Bridger Bowl Inc. and the Gallatin National Forest will be available at

the open house to discuss the proposed project and provide additional

information.

Comments from the public and other agencies will be used to

preparation of the Draft EIS. The scoping process will be used to:

1. Identify potential issues.

2. Identify major issues to be analyzed in depth.

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3. Eliminate minor issues or those which have been covered by a

relevant previous environmental analysis, such as the Gallatin Forest

Plan EIS.

4. Identify alternatives to the proposed action.

5. Identify potential environmental effects of the proposed action

and alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect, and cumulative effects).

6. Determine potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.

The following preliminary issues have been identified so far:

Potential effects to changes in sediment yield and channel

stability associated with the proposed new construction.

Potential impacts to Yellowstone Cutthroat trout habitat

in the South Fork of Brackett Creek due to potential changes in

sediment delivery.

Potential impacts to the primitive characteristics of the

inventoried Bridger roadless area which surrounds the current ski area

to the south, north, and west. The proposal includes the development of

ski lifts and ski trails adjacent to and within this area.

The proposal includes additional ski runs and lifts in the

Pine-Slushman area to the south of the current ski area and additional

ski runs and lifts to the north. This proposal has the potential to

change the existing visual condition as observed from various locations

in the Bridger canyon.

The proposal includes expanded season of use. The use

pattern of the national forest road and trails within the permitted

area may be affected.

Potential effects to the adjacent cross-country ski trail

system authorized on national forest land.

Effects to the traffic patterns and potential increase on

the highway to the ski area and it's compliance to current county land

use planning.

Other issues commonly associated with ski area development include:

effects on cultural resources, water quality, soils, sensitive species,

and scenery values. This list may be verified, expanded, or modified

based on public scoping for this proposal.

The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental

Protection Agency (EPA) and available for public review in November of

1997. At that time, the EPA will publish a notice of availability of

the Draft EIS in the Federal Register. The comment period on the Draft

EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA's notice of availability

appears in the Federal Register. It is very important that those

interested in management of the Bridger Bowl ski area participate at

that time. To be most helpful, comments on the Draft EIS should be as

site-specific as possible. The Final EIS is scheduled to be completed

by June, 1998.

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 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 scoping 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 developing issues and alternatives.

To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues

on the proposed action, comments should be as specific as possible.

Reviewers may wish to refer to the Council on Environmental Quality

Regulations for implementing the procedural provisions of the National

Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

I am the responsible official for this environmental impact

statement. My address is Gallatin National Forest, P.O. Box 130,

Federal Building, Bozeman, MT 59771.

Dated: June 6, 1997.

Richard H. Inman,

Acting Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 97-15484 Filed 6-12-97; 8:45 am]

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