[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 47 (Tuesday, March 11, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 11148-11149]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-5958]


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 Notices
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 This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules 
 or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings 
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  Federal Register / Vol. 62, No. 47 / Tuesday, March 11, 1997 / 
Notices  

[[Page 11148]]



DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


White Pass Ski Area Expansion, Gifford Pinchot National Forest, 
Lewis County, Washington

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to analyze and disclose the environmental impacts of a 
site-specific proposal to modify the present special use permit of the 
White Pass Company, present operator of the White Pass Ski Area. This 
modification would authorize expansion into approximately 300 acres in 
Pigtail Basin, located between the current permit area and Hogback 
Basin, for the purpose of providing additional skiing opportunities. 
This action is proposed in response to an application by the White Pass 
Company to expand the permit area on the Packwood Ranger District of 
the Gifford Pinchot National Forest. The White Pass Company current 
permit is administered by the Naches Ranger District of the Wenatchee 
National Forest. The proposed action is at White Pass, Washington, 
approximately 50 miles west of the city of Yakima. The purpose of the 
EIS will be to develop and evaluate a range of alternatives including a 
No Action Alternative, and possible additional alternatives to respond 
to issues identified during the scoping process. The proposed project 
will be in compliance with the direction in the Wenatchee National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (March 1990), as amended by 
the Northwest Forest Plan (April 1994), which provides the overall 
guidance for management of the area. The Agency invites written 
comments on the scope of this project. In addition, the agency gives 
notice of this analysis so that interested and affected people are 
aware of how they may participate and contribute to the final decision.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of this proposal must be received 
by April 12, 1997.

ADDRESSES: Submit written comments and suggestions to Sonny J. O'Neal, 
Forest Supervisor, Wenatchee National Forest, 215 Melody Lane, 
Wenatchee, Washington 98801.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments about this EIS 
should be directed to Jim Pena, District Ranger, Naches Ranger 
District, 10061 U.S. Highway 12, Naches, WA 98937; Phone 509-653-2205.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Wenatchee National Forest is initiating 
this action in response to a request filed by the White Pass Company on 
January 7, 1997, to expand their current ski area permit boundary.
    This is White Pass Company's second attempt to expand the skiing 
opportunities at White Pass. Their first proposal was submitted after 
passage of the Washington Wilderness Bill of 1984. The Bill, while 
increasing Wilderness lands within Washington by well over one million 
acres, also realigned the Wilderness boundary southwest of White Pass 
in the expressed interest of skiing potential in this area. White Pass 
Company's initial expansion proposal encompassed 1,300 acres, which 
included Hogback Basin and the development of three chairlifts. 
Subsequent litigation regarding the Forest's decision to authorize the 
expansion in combination with concerns regarding new wildlife 
information led to withdrawal of that decision by the Wenatchee 
National Forest Supervisor in 1992.
    This new proposal has been developed following (1) the review and 
understanding of the issues raised during the first EIS attempt, (2) 
new environmental standards such as the Northwest Forest Plan and 
Aquatic Conservation Strategy, (3) recent discussions with interested 
groups regarding the new proposed action and (4) the continued search 
for an expansion location that best fits into the social, cultural, 
environmental and skier needs categories.
    A range of alternatives will be considered, including a No Action 
Alternative. Other alternatives will be developed in response to issues 
received during scoping. The major issues that have been identified to 
date include the following: Air quality, cultural/historic/religious 
uses, scenery, socioeconomics, wildlife habitat, and the cumulative 
effects of the proposed action with uses within the current permit 
area.
    Public participation will be especially important at several points 
during the analysis. 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 actions. This information will be used in preparation 
of the draft EIS. The scoping process includes:
    1. Identifying potential issues.
    2. Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
    3. Eliminating insignificant issues or those which have been 
covered by a relevant previous environmental process.
    4. Exploring additional alternatives.
    5. Identifying potential environmental effects of the proposed 
action and alternatives (i.e., direct, indirect and cumulative effects 
and connected actions.).
    6. Determining potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.
    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for review by October 1997. 
At that time, copies of the draft EIS will be distributed to interested 
and affected agencies, organization, and members of the public for 
their review and comment. 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 notice appears in the 
Federal Register. It is very important that those interested in the 
management of the Wenatchee and Gifford Pinchot National Forests 
participate at that time.
    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 EIS's 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 connections.

[[Page 11149]]

Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). 
Also, environmental objections that could be raised at the draft EIS 
stage, but that are not raised until after completion of the final EIS 
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 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 EIS.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft EIS should 
be as specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to 
specific pages or chapters of the draft EIS. Comments may also address 
the adequacy of the draft EIS 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 final EIS is scheduled to be completed by March 1998. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to comments and 
responses received during the comment period that pertain to the 
environmental consequences discussed in the draft EIS and applicable 
laws, regulations and policies considered in making the decision 
regarding this proposal. Sonny J. O'Neal, Forest Supervisor, Wenatchee 
National Forest is the responsible official. As the responsible 
official he will document the decision and reasons for the decision in 
the Record of Decision. That decision will be subject to Forest Service 
appeal regulation (36 CFR part 215).

    Dated: May 4, 1997.
G. Elton Thomas,
Natural Resources Group Leader.
[FR Doc. 97-5958 Filed 3-11-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M