Rocky Mountain Region; Telluride Ski Area ExpansionSupplemental Analysis, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, San Miguel County, CO

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Rocky Mountain Region; Telluride Ski Area Expansion--Supplemental

Analysis, Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, San

Miguel County, CO

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact

Statement.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service will

prepare a Supplemental Environmental Impact Statement (SFEIS) to the

Final Environmental Impact Statement Telluride Ski Area Expansion

(FEIS) to address the adequacy of the FEIS and to disclose new

information. The Final Record of Decision (ROD) on the Telluride Ski

Area Expansion released in July 1996 was subsequently withdrawn pending

further analysis required by the Appeal Deciding Officer and a civil

complaint. The SFEIS will address the points raised by the Appeal

Deciding Officer and the civil complaint as well as any applicable new

information. The FEIS disclosed potential impacts on a proposal to

develop six new ski lifts with associated runs and five new restaurants

at the Telluride Ski Area on the Norwood District of the Grand Mesa,

Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests within San Miguel County,

Colorado.

DATES: The draft SFEIS is scheduled for publication in June 1998 and

the final in September 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Dick Cook, Norwood Ranger District,

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, P.O. Box 388,

Norwood, Colorado 81423. Robert L. Storch, Forest Supervisor, Grand

Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison National Forests, is the Responsible

Official for this EIS.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Arthur Bauer, Project Coordinator, Norwood Ranger District--(970) 728-

9351 or (970) 327-4261.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The EIS process for the Telluride Ski Area

Expansion began with a Notice of Intent in the Federal Register on June

18, 1993. The proposal includes the construction of six new lifts and

associated trails, five new restaurants, and the expansion of

additional off-season recreational activities. A draft EIS was

published in March 1994 and a supplement to the draft EIS was published

in December 1994. The FEIS for the Telluride Ski Area Expansion was

prepared and released in February 1996 and the ROD was released in July

1996.

The ROD was the subject of an appeal to the Rocky Mountain Regional

Forester on September 6, 1996. The ruling made on October 22, 1996 by

the Appeal Deciding Officer directed the Forest Supervisor to: (1)

Disclose the socio-economic impacts, including community infrastructure

and services, to communities outside of San Miguel County but within

the employee commuting area of Telluride; (2) specify the required best

management practices for erosion and sedimentation control; (3)

disclose the instream flows of the San Miguel River resulting from the

proposed action with the existing flows, the associated effects

including cumulative effects of water depletions, and specify required

mitigation; and (4) analyze and disclose the environmental effects of

off-season operation and use of any chairlift, other than Lift #10.

Subsequent to the ruling by the Appeal Deciding Officer, a civil

complaint was filed against the USFS in March 1997 and was subsequently

amended on April 22, 1997. The claims made by the plaintiffs included

four counts which dealt with potential inadequacies in the FEIS, the

exclusion of two transportation exhibits in the Appeal Record, concerns

that potential bias in the analysis may have tainted the process, and

the possible violation of the Clean Air Act by the issuance of the

conformity Determination.

On June 30, 1997, the Forest Supervisor of the GMUG National

Forests withdrew the decision on the Telluride Ski Area expansion

pending further analysis required by the Appeal Deciding Officer and

the points raised in the civil complaint. The ROD released in July 1996

is no longer considered valid. Once the Supplement has been finalized,

a new decision will be issued by the Forest Supervisor. The new

decision will consider all the findings of the Supplement as well as

those released in the FEIS. All elements and alternatives displayed in

the FEIS will be reconsidered in the Record of Decision associated with

the supplement.

The Deciding Official will be Robert L. Storch, Forest Supervisor,

Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre and Gunnison

[[Page 25198]]

National Forests, 2250 Highway 50, Delta, Colorado 81416.

Dated: April 27, 1998.

Robert L. Storch,

Forest Supervisor.

[FR Doc. 98-12161 Filed 5-6-98; 8:45 am]

BILLING CODE 3410-11-M