Discovery Basin Ski Area Expansion, Philipsburg Ranger District, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Granite County, Montana

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

Discovery Basin Ski Area Expansion, Philipsburg Ranger District,

Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest, Granite County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice; intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: A private consulting firm, Land & Water Consulting, Inc.,

Missoula, Montana, and the Forest Service will prepare an environmental

impact statement (EIS) to document the analysis and disclose the

environmental impacts of the proposed action to expand the Discovery

Basin Ski Area. The project area is located approximately 6 miles

southeast of Philipsburg, Montana, primarily in the Summer Gulch and

Echo Lake headwaters area.

The proposed expansion of the ski area would implement Phase III of

the Discovery Basin Master Plan dated May 1988. A Special Use Permit

will be required for the proposed action, which would authorize

additional development, construction, and operation of ski area

facilities on National Forest Systems lands. The Phase III expansion

includes approximately 106 acres of cleared ski runs (6), 2.8 miles of

new road, 2 acres of new parking, a restaurant on the top of Rumsey

Mountain, expanded snowmaking capacity, and 9,400 feet of new chair

lifts (2 lifts). Approximately 1,500 vertical feet of skiing would be

added on the north side of Rumsey Mountain, serviced by a new chair

lift. The other chair lift would be installed parallel to the existing

on the south side of Rumsey Mountain in order to increase uphill skier

capacity and reduce lift lines. New access roads would service the new

lift station in Summer Gulch.

DATES: Initial comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be

received in writing no later than November 27, 1998.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Deborah L.R. Austin, Forest

Supervisor, c/o Bob Gilman, District Ranger, Philipsburg Ranger

District, P.O. Box 805, Philipsburg, Montana 95858.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:

Ed Casey, Interdisciplinary Team Leader or Bill Sprauer, Recreation

Specialist, Philipsburg Ranger District, P.O. Box 805, Philipsburg, MT,

59858, or phone: (406) 859-3211.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: To accommodate the additional skiers

anticipated with the new restaurant on top of Rumsey Mountain would

include approximately 3,000 square feet of indoor space and 1,000

square feet of outdoor deck area. A septic system would be installed to

serve the restaurant. Water would be supplied by a well in the base

area and a pipeline.

The total area of National Forest lands affected by the ski area

would increase from 1,970 acres to 2,220 acres if the expansion is

approved.

Approximately 110 acres of the Fred Burr Roadless Area (No. 01-435)

would

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be affected by ski runs and the tree clearance for those runs. Proposed

roads and lifts are outside the roadless area boundary.

Public participation is important to the analysis. Part of the goal

of public involvement is to identify additional issues and to refine

the general, tentative issues. A scoping notice describing the project

will be mailed to those that have requested information on activities

on the Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest. If sufficient interest is

expressed a public meeting will be held. Preliminary issues identified

by Forest Service specialists include effects to wildlife habitats,

visual quality, recreation, and adjacent private land.

People may visit with Forest Service officials at any time during

the analysis and prior to the decision. Two periods are specifically

designated for comments on the analysis: (1) during the scoping process

and (2) during the draft EIS comment period.

During the scoping process, the Forest Service is seeking

additional information and comments from Federal, State, and local

agencies and other individuals or organizations who may be interested

in or affected by the proposed action. The United States Fish and

Wildlife Service will be consulted concerning effects to threatened and

endangered species. The agency invites written comments and suggestions

on this action, particularly in terms of identification of issues and

alternative development.

The draft EIS should be available for review in April, 1999. The

final EIS is scheduled for completion in June, 1999.

The comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date

the Environmental Protection Agency publishes the 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 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 are not raised until

after completion of the final environment 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 those interested in this proposed action

participate by the close of the 45-day comment period so 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 provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at

40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.

The Beaverhead-Deerlodge Forest Supervisor is the responsible

official who will make the decision. She will decide on this proposal

after considering comments and responses, environmental consequences

discussed in the Final EIS, and applicable laws, regulations, and

policies. The decision and reasons for the decision will be documented

in a Record of Decision.

Deborah L.R. Austin,

Forest Supervisor, Beaverhead-Deerlodge National Forest.

[FR Doc. 98-27847 Filed 10-15-98; 8:45 am]

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