[Federal Register Volume 62, Number 153 (Friday, August 8, 1997)]
[Notices]
[Pages 42740-42741]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 97-20898]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Treasure Mountain Winter Sports Area Conceptual Development Plan; 
Kootenai National Forest, Lincoln County, Montana

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare environmental impact statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA, Forest Service, will prepare an environmental impact 
statement (EIS) to develop the Treasure Mountain Winter Sports Area 
which includes management of a 1,700+/-acre tract of land of which 
approximately 242 acres would be devoted to alpine ski trail 
development. The ski area would have a vertical rise of 2,700 feet with 
the potential to increase to 3,500 feet and would include a separate 
beginner/teaching slope with its own chairlift as well as trails and 
chairlifts for novice, low intermediate, intermediate, advanced 
intermediate and expert skiers. The proposal includes the construction 
of ski trails, chair lifts, base lodge and facilities and parking 
facilities. The base lodge will provide the full range of skier 
services including food service, rest rooms, lockers, rental, retail 
and first aid. The proposal also includes a forest plan amendment to 
change Kootenai Forest land allocations from MA8 (Proposed Wilderness), 
MA-13 (Designated Old-growth), MA-14 (Grizzly Bear habitat) and MA-16 
(Timber with viewing allocation) to MA6 (Developed Recreation).
    The proposed Treasure Mountain Winter Sports Area is approximately 
five miles west of US Highway 2 and one mile south of Libby in Lincoln 
County, Montana, ninety miles south of the Canadian border and thirty 
miles east of the Idaho border. The proposed ski area is located 
adjacent to the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness Area and within the 
Municipal Watershed for the town of Libby, Montana. Approximately half 
of the proposed ski area is located within the Inventoried Roadless 
Area #671--Cabinet Face East. The decision area is also occupied 
Grizzly Bear habitat.

DATES: Written comments and suggestions should be received on or before 
September 8, 1997.

ADDRESSES: The Responsible Official is Robert L. Schrenk, Forest 
Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest. Written comments and suggestions 
concerning the scope of the analysis should be sent to Lawrence A. 
Froberg, District Ranger, Libby Ranger District, 12557 US Hwy 37 N, 
Libby, Montana, 59923.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Tim Charnon, Project Coordinator, 
Libby Ranger District. Phone: (406) 293-7773.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:

Historical Context

    A preliminary proposal for the Treasure Mountain Winter Sports Area 
was presented to the Libby Ranger District, U.S. Forest Service, Libby, 
Montana, in September 1990. This was followed by a request for land 
designation change presented to the U.S. Senate in 1991. An evaluation 
of the proposed Treasure Mountain Winter Sports Area was compiled in 
June 1992 followed by modifications to the evaluation in 1994. In March 
1995, the Lincoln County Economic Development Council was presented 
with a Conceptual Development Plan and Feasibility Study prepared by 
Barnhart Malcolm, Inc. The evaluation of this report was that the 
proposed Treasure Mountain Winter Sports Area site has superior 
physical attributes for regional destination alpine ski potential 
customers to generate cumulative positive cash flow. Finally, in 
November

[[Page 42741]]

1995, the U.S. Department of Commerce Economic Development 
Administration awarded the Lincoln County Economic Development Council 
a long-term Economic Deterioration Adjustment Strategy Grant to provide 
the final information needed to determine the feasibility of 
development of the Treasure Mountain site.

Proposed Action

    LCEDC resubmitted the proposal for the Treasure Mountain Winter 
Sports Area to the Libby Ranger District, on October 23, 1996. Based on 
this proposal the decisions to be made are:

    Should a Special Use Permit be authorized for Treasure Mountain 
Winter Sports Area and if so how and under what conditions,
    What mitigation measures would be required for protection of 
National Forest resources, and
    Are Forest Plan amendments necessary to proceed with the 
Proposed Action within the decision area. If so, what are they and 
are they significant amendments?

    The Kootenai National Forest Land and Resource Management Plan 
provides overall management objectives in individual delineated 
management areas (MA's). The decision area is allocated to MA-8 
(Recreation wilderness), MA-13 (Designated Old-growth), MA-14 (Grizzly 
Bear habitat) and MA-16 (Timber with viewing allocation).

Preliminary Issues

    Several preliminary issues of concern have been identified by the 
Forest Service. These issues are briefly described below:
     Potential impacts to grizzly bear (the proposed ski area 
is within designated grizzly bear habitat).
     Potential effects to the Libby municipal watershed.
     Potential impacts on the Cabinet Mountain Wilderness 
(adjacent to the proposed ski area).
     Potential socio-economic effects (market demand and need 
for the ski resort).

Public Involvement and Scoping

    Public participation is an important part of the analysis, 
commencing with the initial scoping process (40 CFR 1501.7), which will 
occur August 1997 to September 1997. 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. The proposed project 
will be presented at two Open Houses at the Libby City Hall, 952 E. 
Spruce, on August 14, 1997. The presentations will be at 10:00 am and 
at 7:00 pm. Representatives from Lincoln County Economic Development 
Council (LCEDC) and the Kootenai National Forest will be available at 
the open houses to discuss the proposed project and provide additional 
information.
    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. Identify alternatives to the proposed action.
4. Identify potential environmental effects of the proposed action and 
alternatives (i.e. direct, indirect, and cumulative effects).
5. Determine potential cooperating agencies and task assignments.

    The Forest Service will consider a range of alternatives. One of 
these will be the ``no action'' alternative, in which none of the 
proposed 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 both private and National Forest lands will be 
considered. The EIS will disclose the analysis of site-specific 
mitigation measures and their effectiveness.

Estimated Dates for Filing

    The draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review by 
January, 1998. At that time 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 publishes the notice of 
availability in the Federal Register.
    The final EIS is scheduled to be completed in September, 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 a decision 
regarding the proposal.

Reviewer's Obligations

    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 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 comment period so that substantive comments and 
objections are made available to the Forest Service at a time when it 
can meaningfully consider and respond to them in the final EIS.
    To be most helpful, comments on the draft EIS should be as specific 
as possible and may address the adequacy of the statement or the merit 
of the alternatives discussed. 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.

Responsible Official

    Robert L. Schrenk, Forest Supervisor, Kootenai National Forest, 506 
US Highway 2 West, Libby, MT 59923 is the Responsible Official. As the 
Responsible Official I will decide which, if any, of the proposed 
projects will be implemented. I will document the decision and reasons 
for the decision in the Record of Decision. That decision will be 
subject to Forest Service Appeal Regulations.

    Dated: July 31, 1997.
Robert L. Schrenk,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 97-20898 Filed 8-7-97; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M