Wasatch Powderbird Guides Outfitter and Guide Special-Use Permit, Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt Lake Ranger District, Salt Lake County, Utah and Uinta National Forest, Pleasant Grove and Spanish Fork Ranger Districts, Utah County, Utah

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Wasatch Powderbird Guides Outfitter and Guide Special-Use Permit,

Wasatch-Cache National Forest, Salt Lake Ranger District, Salt Lake

County, Utah and Uinta National Forest, Pleasant Grove and Spanish Fork

Ranger Districts, Utah County, Utah

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement

(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact

statement on Wasatch Powderbird Guides request for a five-year

outfitter and guide special-use permit for guided helicopter skiing

activities on National Forest Land.

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

in writing by January 30, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Michael Sieg, District Ranger, 6944

South 3000 East, Salt Lake City, Utah 84121.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Rob Cruz, District Environmental

Coordinator, (801) 943-9483.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Wasatch Powderbird Guides, a current

``Special Use Permit'' permittee, is proposing to operate a heli-skiing

operation for another five-years along the Wasatch Front of the

Wasatch-Cache and Uinta National Forests. This proposal includes

elements on both public and private lands. Elements include the landing

of helicopters to drop off and pick-up heli-skiers who are skiing

across both public and private land holdings. A complete description of

the proposal is available from the Salt Lake Ranger District. This

proposal was originally scoped in January 1997, since then it was

decided that there may be significant impacts, therefore an

environmental impact statement is being completed. A letter explaining

the decision to conduct an environmental impact statement, and

soliciting comments will be sent to nearly 300 individuals,

organizations and government agencies who responded to the original

scoping dated January 27, 1997. Individuals, organizations or other

government agencies may request a copy of the original scoping document

and/or send additional comments by writing to the Salt Lake Ranger

District.

Issues identified since January 1997 include effects on public

safety, effects on Wilderness areas, effects of snowpack stability

testing on vegetation, effects on wildlife, including golden eagles and

threatened, endangered and sensitive species, effects on the economic

viability of Wasatch Powderbird Guides and the local economy and

effects to other winter recreationalists. Two preliminary alternatives

have been identified. The proposed action alternative would permit the

aforementioned heli-skiing operation with the following criteria: a

limit of 2 helicopters, a 5-year average of 2400 skier days per year, a

5-year average of 1200 skier days per year in the Tri-Canyon (Mill

Creek, Big, and Little Cottonwood Canyons) terrain and a 5-year average

of 1000 explosives per year. The No Action alternative would eliminate

helicopter skiing along the Wasatch Front and require a change to the

current Forest Plan. Other alternatives will look at use rotation

methods to reduce conflict between heli-skiing operations and other

winter recreationalists.

The public is invited to submit comments or suggestions to the

address above. Comments received from individuals, groups and

government agencies received from the January 1997 scoping document

will be incorporated into this analysis. The responsible officials are

Bernie Weingardt and Peter Karp, Forest Supervisors. A draft EIS is

anticipated to be filed in May 1998 and the final EIS filed in

September 1998.

The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement will

be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency's notice

of availability appears in the Federal Register. It is very important

that those interested in this proposed action participate at that time.

To be the most helpful, comments on the draft environmental impact

statement should be as specific as possible and may address the

adequacy of the statement or the merits of the alternatives discussed

(see The Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing

the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at

40 CFR 1503.3).

In addition, Federal court decisions have established that

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 reviewers' position and

contentions. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519,

533 (1978). Environmental objections that could have been raised at the

draft stage may be waived if not raised until after completion of the

final environmental impact statement. City of Angoon v. Hodel, (9th

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

1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). The reason for this is to ensure 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.

Dated: December 23, 1997.

Michael Sieg,

District Ranger.

[FR Doc. 97-34202 Filed 12-31-97; 8:45 am]

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