[Federal Register Volume 61, Number 144 (Thursday, July 25, 1996)]
[Notices]
[Pages 38705-38707]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 96-18916]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service


Lost Trail Powder Mountain Ski Area Expansion; Bitterroot 
National Forest, Ravalli 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 expansion of 
Lost Trail Powder Mountain ski area, including construction of a new 
ski lodge, a new warming hut facility, two new chair lifts, one surface 
tow, and several ski runs in the vicinity of Lost Trail Pass. A site 
specific amendment to the Bitterroot Forest Plan (1987) to change the 
management area designation for the expansion area is also proposed. 
The area is located adjacent to the existing ski area facilities near 
the southern edge of the Bitterroot National Forest, Sula Ranger 
District, Ravalli County, Montana.
    The proposal's actions to construct two short sections of road, a 
new ski lodge, a new warming hut facility, two chair lifts, a surface 
tow, and clear ski runs are being considered together because they 
represent either connected or cumulative actions as defined by the 
Council on Environmental Quality (40 CFR 1508.25). The purposes of the 
project are to enhance skiing opportunities on the Bitterroot National 
Forest, provide an affordable family skiing area for the foreseeable 
future, and contribute to the diversification of the local economies. 
This project level EIS will tier to the Bitterroot National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) and Final EIS (September 
1987), which provides overall guidance of land management activities on 
the Bitterroot National Forest, including recreation management.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before 
September 9, 1996.


[[Page 38706]]


ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions on the proposed 
management activities or request to be placed on the project mailing 
list to Dave Campbell, District Ranger, Sula Ranger District, 
Bitterroot National Forest 7338 Hwy. 93 South, Sula, MT 59871.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Gina Owens, EIS Team Leader, Sula Ranger District, Bitterroot National 
Forest, Phone (406) 821-3201.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Skiing at Lost Trail Pass has been ongoing 
since 1935 with uphill transportation in the early years provided by a 
rope tow and walking. Improvements since that time have led to the 
current level of development which includes two chair lifts, two rope 
tows, 28 ski runs, a ski lodge, and several outbuildings for storage, 
power generation, and the ski patrol. The area has a large parking lot 
and the double lane entrance road is scheduled to be paved in 1997.
    The project area is north of the existing ski area and consists of 
approximately 600 acres of National Forest land located in Section 4, 
T.2N., R.19W. and Sections 32 and 33T.1N, R.19W. This area is primarily 
located in an area burned by wildfire in 1960 and is commonly referred 
to as the ``Saddle Mountain Burn.'' The majority of the area is covered 
with 30 year old lodgepole pine with some areas having very little 
vegetative recovery. No activities are proposed within the Allen 
Mountain Roadless Area, however the proposed activities would occur on 
lands adjacent to this Roadless area. Expansion of ski area facilities 
would require construction of approximately 0.25 mile of road, 
reconstruction of approximately 0.5 mile of road, and clearing of 
approximately 230 acres of forested land. A new ski lodge would be 
constructed near the existing parking area and a warming hut facility 
would be located at the base of the two new chair lifts. One of the ski 
lifts would be developed near Camp Creek and one ski lift would be 
located within the Saddle Mountain burn. Ski runs would be cleared 
adjacent to both lifts, with most runs located within the Saddle 
Mountain burn.
    This proposal has been developed by Lost Trail Pass, Inc. to 
respond to the population growth occurring in western Montana. Ravalli 
Country (Bitterroot Valley) leads the state of Montana in population 
growth, and the population is expected to continue to grow for the 
foreseeable future.
    The decision to be made is whether the Forest Service should allow 
the proponent to expand the existing ski area as described above, add 
approximately 600 acres to the ski area's permit area, and amend the 
Bitterroot Forest Plan by reallocating the proposed expansion area from 
Management Area 3A (visual quality emphasis) and Management Area 5 
(semi-primitive recreation emphasis) to Management Area 10 (developed 
recreation sites).
    The Bitterroot Forest Plan provides guidance for management 
activities within the potentially affected area through its goals, 
objectives, standards and guidelines, and management area direction. 
The areas of proposed ski area expansion activities would occur within 
Management Areas 3A, 3B, and 5. Road construction would occur in 
management area 3A and 3B when crossing streams.
    Approximately 470 acres of Management Area 3a and 460 acres of 
Management Area 5 are proposed for redesignation as Management Area 10. 
This redesignation would be accomplished by a site specific amendment 
to the Bitterroot Forest Plan.
    Here are brief descriptions of the applicable management area 
direction.
    Management Area 3A: These areas are comprised of visually sensitive 
foreground and middle ground viewing areas along U.S. Highway 93 and 
other major road corridors. Lands within this management area may be 
managed for a variety of activities so long as the partial retention 
visual quality objective is maintained. The goal for lands within this 
management area is to maintain the partial retention visual quality 
objective while managing timber. Emphasis is placed on roaded dispersed 
recreation activities, old growth, and big-game cover.
    Management Area 3B: These areas are comprised of riparian habitat 
and includes 100 feet on either side of small streams or the area 
defined by water influenced vegetation, whichever is greater. The goal 
of this management area is to manage riparian areas to maintain flora, 
fauna, water quality and water-related recreation activities. Emphasis 
is on water and soil protection, dispersed recreation use, visual 
quality, and old growth.
    Management Area 5: This area is comprised of semi-primitive 
recreation and elk security areas. The semi-primitive recreation areas 
include the inventoried roadless acres and some adjacent roaded lands. 
Goals for this management area are to emphasize motorized and non-
motorized semi-primitive recreation activities and elk security. 
Management of the Saddle Mountain road corridor is to provide for 
recreation access.
    Management Area 10: This area is comprised of developed recreation 
sites (including the ski area) on the Forest. The goal of this 
management area is to provide developed recreation facilities which are 
not provided by the private sector. A standard for this management area 
is to ``provide for the expansion of the Lost Trail Ski Area.''
    The Forest will consider a range of alternatives. One of these will 
be the no action alternative, in which none of the 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 resource 
values.
    The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect, and cumulative 
environmental effects of the alternatives. Past, present, and projected 
activities on 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 July 1996 through August 1996. 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.
    Comments from the public and other agencies will be used in 
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.
    3. Eliminate minor issues or those which have been covered by 
relevant previous environmental analysis, such as the Bitterroot 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.
    Some public comments have already been received in conjunction with 
the Camp-Reimel Integrated Resource Analysis and a proponent sponsored 
survey conducted during the winter of 1995-1996. The following 
preliminary issues have been identified.
    1. How will the proposal affect visual quality along the U.S. Hwy. 
93 corridor?

[[Page 38707]]

    2. How will the proposed action affect the Allen Mountain Roadless 
Area and lands adjacent to the roadless area?
    3. How will the proposed action affect wildlife?
    4. How will the proposed action affect water quality and quantity 
within the Camp Creek drainage?
    5. Will the proposed expansion impact the Lost Trail Pass fen 
(bog)?
    6. Will the proposal affect the nature and character of the 
recreation opportunity currently provided at Lost Trail Pass?
    7. What are the cumulative impacts of all activities proposed at 
Lost Trail Pass including a State operated rest area and a snowmobile 
parking area?
    Other issues commonly associated with ski area development are 
effects on cultural resources, sensitive species, soils, and the local 
communities. 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 April 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 
expansion of the Lost Trail Pass 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 in November 
1997.
    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 Counsel 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 Bitterroot National Forest, 1801 N First, 
Hamilton, Montana 59840.

    Dated: July 18, 1996.
Stephen K. Kelly,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 96-18916 Filed 7-24-96; 8:45 am]
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