[Federal Register Volume 64, Number 19 (Friday, January 29, 1999)]
[Notices]
[Pages 4633-4635]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 99-1974]
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
The Summit at Snoqualmie Master Development Plan; Mt. Baker-
Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National Forests, King and Kittitas Counties,
Washington
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
-----------------------------------------------------------------------
SUMMARY: The Forest Service, USDA, will prepare an environmental impact
statement (EIS) for Ski Lifts, Inc. (The Summit at Snoqualmie) ski area
proposal to develop its Master Development Plan. The Summit at
Snoqualmie consists of four ski areas: Alpental; Summit West; Summit
Central and Summit East. The proposed action would expand the area
under special use permit to 1,905 acres, an increase of 41 acres, to
provide for additional parking at Summit West and to connect the Summit
Central and Summit East ski areas. The proposed development includes
the replacement and addition of chair and surface lifts; addition of a
multi-user gondola at Alpental; new lifts and terrain within the
existing SUP boundary; and expanded night skiing at Alpental and Summit
Central. In addition, the proposal includes the expansion and addition
of parking lots at Summit West, Summit Central and Alpental, day lodges
and other related facilities, maintenance facilities and utilities to
support the skiing and other recreational opportunities. The project
also includes reforestation at Summit West and Summit Central, as well
as
[[Page 4634]]
identified watershed restoration projects.
At Alpental, implementation of the proposed MDP would increase the
Skiers-At-One-Time (SAOT) capacity from 1,710 to 2,800. Accordingly,
the peak day capacity of the facility would increase from 1,881
Persons-at-One-Time (PAOT) to 3,080. At The Summit at Snoqualmie
(excluding Alpental), the MDP proposes to increase the SAOT capacity
from 7,410 to 10,900. Consequently, the peak day capacity of The Summit
at Snoqualmie will increase from 8,151 to 11,990.
DATES: Comment concerning the scope of this analysis should be in
writing and postmarked by March 5, 1999.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Daniel T. Harkenrider, Acting
Forest Supervisor, 21905 64th Avenue West, Mountlake Terrace,
Washington, 98043, Attention: The Summit At Snoqualmie Master
Development Plan.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Larry Donovan, Winter Sports
Specialist, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Supervisor's Officer,
21905 64th Avenue West, Mountlake Terrace, Washington 98043-2278. Phone
(425) 744-3403. Internet: Idonovan/[email protected].
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Summit at Snoqualmie operates under a
Special Use Permit from the USDA Forest Service. Presently, alpine
skiing/snowboarding and other four-season resort activities are
provided to the public through a Special Use Permit administered by the
Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Currently, there are four master plans for the Summit at
Snoqualmie, dating from the time each of the four areas (Alpental,
Summit West, Summit Central and Summit East) were managed as separate
ski areas. The purpose (objective) of this project is to develop one
Master Development Plan for the management and development of The
Summit at Snoqualmie over the next 7-10 years. The goal of the Master
Development Plan is to ensure the long-term economic viability of The
Summit at Snoqualmie, maintain the competitive position of The Summit
at Snoqualmie with other ski areas in the Puget Sound Basin; maintain
and restore a healthy ecosystem; and be consistent with the Mt. Baker-
Snoqualmie National Forest Plan.
The proposed action is the submitted Master Development Plan
proposal. At Alpental it would include: replacement of one existing
chairlift, re-alignment of one existing chairlift, construction of one
new chairlift and construction of a gondola, providing for year-round
access to the top of the facility. Two existing lifts would remain
unchanged and the two existing surface tows would be removed. Downhill
terrain would be expanded by 18.5 acres and night skiing terrain would
increase by 34 acres. The proposed action would include the addition of
17,500 square feet of visitor support facilities, including a mountain-
top restaurant. Parking would be expanded from 8.4 acres to 8.5 acres.
The proposed action would also include watershed restoration projects
as identified in the Upper South Fork Snoqualmie and Coal Creek
Watershed Condition Assessment. Implementation could begin in the
summer of 2000 and would continue for approximately 7-10 years.
At the Summit at Snoqualmie (Summit West, Summit Central and Summit
East), the Master Development Plan proposal would include 23 chairlifts
and surface tows. It includes the elimination, replacement or
realignment of 21 of the 22 existing chair and surface lifts. When
coupled with new chairlift construction there would be a total of 17
chairlifts and 6 surface tows. Downhill terrain would be expanded by 54
acres and night skiing would increase from 386 acres to 440 acres. The
proposed action would include the addition of 60,708 square feet of
guest support facilities, including a new mountain-top restaurant at
Alpental and remodeling the existing mountain-top restaurant at Summit
West. Parking would be expanded from 26.3 to 32.7 acres. The proposed
action would also include watershed restoration projects as identified
in the Upper South Fork Snoqualmie and Coal Creek Watershed Condition
Assessment. Implementation could begin in the summer of 2000 and would
continue for approximately 7-10 years.
The site-specific environmental analysis provided in The Summit at
Snoqualmie Master Development Plan EIS will assist the Forest
Supervisor in determining which improvements are needed to meet the
goals and objectives, as stated above.
An EIS will be produced, which will display alternatives considered
including (1) no action (continued management of the ski area under the
existing master development plans), and (2) the proposed action. Three
additional alternatives have been tentatively identified: (3) reduced
development in the area between Summit Central and Summit East (Section
16); (4) no development in the area between Summit Central and Summit
East (Section 16); and (5) reduced disturbance to riparian reserves.
The EIS will analyze the direct, indirect and cumulative effects of the
alternatives. Past, present and projected activities on both private
and National Forest System lands will be considered. The EIS will
disclose the effects of site-specific mitigation.
Comments from the public will be used to:
Identify potential issues.
Identify major issues to be analyzed in depth.
Eliminate minor issues or those that have been covered by
a previous environmental analysis, such as the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie or
Wenatchee Land and Resource Management Plans.
Identify alternatives to the proposed action.
Issues identified as the result of internal scoping include:
Consistency with the Forest Plan/Aquatic Conservation
Strategy Objectives.
Consistency with the Snoqualmie Pass Adaptive Management
Area Plan (1997).
Ability to maintain or increase the north/south Late-
Successional connective corridors in the areas between Summit Central
and Summit East; and Summit West and Summit Central.
Ability to maintain snag and large downed wood habitat
with the development of ski runs and chairlifts.
Maintenance of habitat for Threatened & Endangered,
Sensitive and Survey & Manage species.
Potential removal/degradation of wetland habitat.
Opportunity to implement restoration projects that will
improve visual quality and reduce erosion.
Potential disruption of the back-country skiing route to
Nordic Pass.
Scoping and public involvement are continuing. An initial scoping
letter was mailed on January 15, 1999. Two public scoping meetings will
be held: February 8, 1999, from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM at the Cle Elum
Ranger Station, 803 West 2nd Street, Cle Elum, WA 98922; and February
10, 1999, from 5:30 PM to 9:00 PM at the West Coast Bellevue Hotel, 625
116th Avenue NE, Bellevue, WA 98004. The information and comments
received will be used in the preparation of the draft EIS.
Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names
and addresses of those who comment, will be considered part of the
public record on this proposed action and will be available for public
inspection. Comments submitted anonymously will be accepted and
considered; however, those who submit anonymous comments will not have
standing to appeal the subsequent decision under
[[Page 4635]]
36 CFR 215 or 217. Additionally, pursuant to 7 CFR 1.27(d), any person
may request the agency to withhold a submission from the public record
by showing how the Freedom of Information Act (FOIA) permits such
confidentiality. Persons requesting such confidentiality should be
aware that under the FOIA, confidentiality may be granted in only very
limited circumstances, such as to protect trade secrets. The Forest
Service will inform the requester of the agency's decision regarding
the request for confidentiality, and where the request is denied, the
agency will return the submission and notify the requester that the
comments may be submitted with or without the name and address within
30 days.
The draft EIS is expected to be filed in May 1999. Following the
release of the draft EIS, there will be a public comment period of at
least 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency
publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes that 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
the draft EIS 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 EIS stage but that are not raised
until after completion of the 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 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 EIS.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
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 EIS. (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 in December 1999. 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. The lead agency is the Forest Service. The
Forest Supervisors of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie and Wenatchee National
Forest are the responsible officials. The responsible officials will
document the decision and the reasons for the decision in the Record of
Decision. That decision will be subject to Forest Service appeal
regulations 36 CFR Parts 215 or 251.
Dated: January 19, 1999.
Daniel T. Harkenrider,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 99-1974 Filed 1-28-99; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M