[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 36 (Monday, February 24, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 8217-8218]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-4455]


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

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service, Eastern Region


Waterville Valley Ski Area Ltd. Snowmaking Ponds; Notice of 
Availability for Review of Draft Environmental Impact Statement

SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service has prepared a 
Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) issued on February 28, 1997 
for the Waterville Valley Ski Area Snowmaking Pond Impoundments Project 
(Waterville Valley Impoundments Project), on the Pemigewasset Ranger 
District, White Mountain National Forest, Grafton County, New 
Hampshire. The New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services 
participated as a cooperating agency. The U.S. Corps of Engineers the 
Fish and Wildlife Service, Department of Interior and the Town of 
Waterville Valley provided assistance in the preparation of the 
document.
    The DEIS is for the proposed action of the construction of five 
water impoundments (ponds) for the storage of approximately 130 million 
gallons of water for snowmaking purposes. In addition, the project 
would result in the change of the February Median Flow (FMF) from the 
presently approved 0.50 csm to 0.75 csm (recommended by the Fish and 
Wildlife FMF) for the Mad River. The project would be phased in over a 
five to ten year period. The DEIS describes alternatives to and 
environmental effects of the proposal on National Forest System lands 
where the ponds would be constructed.
    The project area is located in the town of Waterville Valley, NH. 
Waterville Valley Ski Area operates under a Special Use Permit issued 
by the USDA Forest Service. Currently, Waterville Valley Ski Area 
withdraws water from the Mad River for the purposes of snowmaking on 
the mountain. They are allowed to withdraw water from the Mad River 
down to 0.50 csm, as identified in the White Mountain Land and Resource 
Management Plan. Given the small size of the watershed and periodic 
droughts that result in the availability of no water, the Mad River is 
an unreliable water source for snowmaking at Waterville Valley Ski 
Area. In addition, to utilizing the Mad River the ski area also uses 
Cochranes Pond, located in the town of Waterville Valley as a 
supplemental source of water. Cochranes pond only holds approximately 5 
million gallons of water. This combination results in Waterville Valley 
only being able to provide adequate snowmaking coverage 68% of the time 
over the ski season. Water Valley would like to be able to provide 
adequate snowmaking so to be able to provide 100% coverage in 95% of 
the years.
    In April 1996 the USDA Forest Service issued a Notice of Intent 
(NOI) to prepare a Environmental Impact Statement. At the same time a 
scoping letter was mailed to the public that requested if there were 
concerns to the proposed action that they submit their concerns to the 
Forest Supervisor of the White Mountain National Forest. During the 45-
day comment period (April 26 to June 10, 1996) fifteen letters were 
received that brought forth issues/concerns to the proposal. The four 
main issues identified through scoping were; (1) Changes in Water 
Withdrawal from the Mad River, (2) Increase in Water Withdrawal Rates 
and Total Water Withdrawal Needed, and (3) Impacts to Wetlands. 
Additional issues were identified that were important in the overall 
analysis and development of the alternatives, but were not the 
``driving issues'' for the purposes of alternative development.

DISCUSSION ON PREFERRED ALTERNATIVE: The agency gives notice that a 
complete DEIS is available for public review and requests input from 
the public to the Preferred Alternative. The analysis was completed by 
a third party contractor, Sno.Engineering (Sno.e) of Littleton, NH, and 
overseen by the USDA Forest Service. The Forest Supervisor has 
identified Alternative 2 (Proposed Action) as the ``Preferred 
Alternative.'' Alternative 2 (Proposed Action) includes the 
construction of four ponds (Pond Sites 2, 3a, 3b and 5). This 
Alternative would allow for the storage of 130 million gallons (mg) of 
water, which would achieve coverage of 100% of the mountain, 91% of the 
time.
    Alternative 2 is preferred because it would allow for the necessary 
storage and upgrade of facilities needed to provide for improved alpine 
skiing opportunities at Waterville Valley Ski Area. This alternative 
should allow Waterville Valley Ski Area to become more competitive with 
other New England ski areas that offer the same facilities to skiers. 
Aquatic resources should be improved by having a stepped increase of 
the February median flow over the 5 to 10 year implementation period. 
Loss of wetlands in the project area would be mitigated through the 
improvement, creation and preservation of wetlands outlined in Option 2 
(described in Chapter IV Effects to Wetlands section).
    Finally, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (Corps) has jurisdiction 
over portions of the project under Section 404 of the Clean Water Act. 
A Corps permit is required under Section 404 for the placement of 
dredged or fill material, excavation, or mechanized land clearing in 
waters of the United States. Areas under Corps jurisdiction include 
wetlands associated with: the construction of the snowmaking ponds with 
wetlands (Pond Sites 2, 3a, 3b and 4), upgrade of the intake structure 
in the Mad River, upgrade of the piping form its present 10'' diameter 
to 18'', and the improvement, creation and preservation wetland 
projects as discussed in the environmental analysis.

DATES: The public comment period for the DEIS will end on April 14, 
1997. If you would like to comment, please review the entire DEIS. You 
may receive a copy of the DEIS by writing to the Forest Service, 719 
Main Street,

[[Page 8218]]

Loconia, NH 03246, or calling (603) 528-8721/TTY (603) 528-8722.
    In addition, there will be two Open Houses held that will allow for 
the opportunity for the public to collect additional information on the 
project and comment on the DEIS. These forums will be held March 12, 
1997 and March 19, 1997 at the Waterville Valley Conference Center, 
Waterville Valley, NH and at the Pease Public Library, Plymouth, NH, 
respectively. The Open Houses will be from 6 p.m. to 9 p.m. For those 
individuals who require sign language interpretation for these open 
houses please contact the Forest Service office in Laconia, NH through 
their TTY phone number--(603) 528-8721. Please call within three days 
of the meeting to allow us time to contact an interpreter for the 
meeting.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments to Jerry Perez, Project Coordinator 
for WV DEIS, Green Mountain National Forest, Rochester, VT 05767.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:
Please direct questions about the proposed action and DEIS to Jerry 
Perez, Eastern Region Winter Sports Team Environmental Coordinator, 
Green Mountain National Forest, Rochester, VT 05767, (phone/TTY 802-
767-4261).

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The DEIS describes four alternatives to the 
proposed action. The alternatives were developed to respond to issues, 
concerns and opportunities identified during the analysis. Alternative 
2 has been identified as the Preferred Alternative in the DEIS.
    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 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. 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 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 the final environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS 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 DEIS 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.)
    After the comment period ends on the DEIS, the comments will be 
analyzed and considered by the agency in preparing the Final 
Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS).
    The FEIS is scheduled to be completed and available to the public 
approximately 6 months following the close of the review period for the 
DEIS. The responsible Forest Service official will document the 
decision and the reasons supporting it in a Record of Decision. That 
decision will be subject to appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 215.
    The Forest Service official responsible for approving the proposed 
action is Forest Supervisor Donna Hepp, 719 Main St., Laconia, NH 
03245.

    Dated: February 18, 1997.
Donna L. Hepp,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 97-4455 Filed 2-21-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M