[Federal Register Volume 68, Number 195 (Wednesday, October 8, 2003)]
[Notices]
[Pages 58061-58063]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 03-25486]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Kirkwood Mountain Resort's 2003 Mountain Master Development Plan; 
Eldorado National Forest, Placer County, CA

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The Eldorado National Forest, Amador Ranger District is 
preparing an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) analyzing proposed 
improvements outlined in Kirkwood Mountain Resort's 2003 Mountain 
Master Development Plan, which provides for long-range planning on 
National Forest System lands with Kirkwood's Special Use Permit (SUP) 
area. The August 2001 Mountain Master Development Plan was slightly 
revised in September 2003 in order to accurately reflect Kirkwood's 
2003 Specific Plan, which was recently approved via the California 
Environmental Policy Act review process, and provides for long-range 
development of private lands within the Kirkwood community. Therefore, 
the August 2001 Mountain Master Development Plan will be referred to as 
the 2003 MMDP. The projects detailed within the 2003 MMDP were 
evaluated cumulatively within the 2003 Kirkwood Recirculated Revised 
Final Environmental Impact Report.
    The 2003 MMDP provides a detailed account of the Kirkwood's 
existing and potential recreational assets, constraints, and future 
needs. Kirkwood is seeking site-specific NEPA review of all projects 
identified in the 2003 MMDP which, if approved, could be implemented 
within five to eight years.
    The 2003 MMDP focuses on enhancing the recreational experience at 
Kirkwood by providing for improvements to: the lift and terrain 
network; on-mountain guest services; snowmaking coverage; 
infrastructure; and non-skiing/riding activities. Due to the nature of 
Kirkwood's lift and terrain network, some of the proposals contained in 
the 2003 MMDP overlap onto adjacent, private property; however, all 
proposals for NFS lands are confined to Kirkwood's existing SUP area, 
and the SUP area is not proposed for expansion or modification.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope and implementation of this 
proposal should be received by November 7, 2003.

ADDRESSES: Send comments to Anthony Botello, Project Leader, Eldorado 
National Forest, 26820 Silver Drive, Pioneer, CA 95666, (209) 295-5998 
Fax

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Questions and comments about this EIS 
should be directed to Anthony Botello, at the above address, or call 
him at (209) 295-5960.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Kirkwood's Alpine comfortable carrying 
capacity (CCC--defined as the optimum number of guests accommodated by 
a resort at any one time, which affords a high quality recreational 
experience) is derived from the resort's combined uphill hourly 
capacity and the estimated demand for vertical transport. The 2003 MMDP 
proposes to increase Alpine CCC at Kirkwood from 6,460 guests to 9,300 
guests.
    Six existing aerial lifts are proposed for upgrades and/or 
realignments, including: Caples Crest (Chair 2)--which would be renamed 
``Flying Carpet'' with full implementation of the 2003 MMDP; Iron Horse 
(Chair 3); Sunrise (4); Solitude (Chair 5); Wagon Wheel (Chair 10); and 
Reut (Chair 11). Two new chairlifts are proposed--Caples Crest Express 
and Thimble Peak (lifts A and C, respectively), as well as four new 
surface lifts--Look Out Vista (Lift B), Covered Wagon (Lift D), Red 
Cliffs (Lift E) and a snowplay lift. Proposed aerial and surface lifts 
would provide access to existing hike-to terrain within Kirkwood's SUP 
area.
    Proposed terrain additions and improvements are proposed within 
Kirkwood's SUP area which would increase Kirkwood's formalized (i.e., 
named) trail network from approximately 567 acres to approximately 781 
acres. (Off-piste (i.e., natural/ungroomed) terrain is not

[[Page 58062]]

accounted for in this trail inventory or acreage). Seasonal 
construction (i.e., from snow only) of a terrain park under Chair 4 and 
miscellaneous trail widening and improvements are proposed to improve 
the quality and diversity of the recreational experience offered at 
Kirkwood. The majority of terrain additions are proposed in open bowls, 
natural glades, and above treeline areas. Minor amounts of vegetation 
removal are proposed in association with new lift access and trails.
    The Proposed Action includes installation of additional snowmaking 
infrastructure as well as re-analysis of previously approved, 
unimplemented snowmaking infrastructure. At full build-out, Kirkwood 
would offer approximately 192 acres of snowmaking coverage (56 acres of 
existing plus proposed/previously approved).
    An on-mountain lodge near the summit of Caples Crest with year-
round casual and fine dining, 700 indoor and 500 outdoor seats, 
restrooms, and ski patrol facilities, is proposed.
    New ski patrol duty stations would be constructed atop the Covered 
Wagon, Thimble Peak, and the Red Cliffs lifts. In addition, the 
Proposed Action provides for modifications to the Chair 10 ski patrol 
duty station; and replacement of the Chair 2 ski patrol duty station 
with ski patrol space allocated in the Caples Crest Lodge. An overnight 
snowcat storage facility (for one machine) atop the Wagon Wheel 
Chairlift (Chair 10) and storage for an additional snowcat atop the 
Cornice Chairlift (Chair 6) is also proposed.
    Non-skiing/riding improvements include: relocation and redesign of 
Kirkwood's snowtubing area to a mix of NFS/private lands near the 
Village; a paragliding program with launch sites accessed via the 
Caples Crest Express, Cornice Express, and Wagon Wheel chairlifts; 
improved access to Kirkwood's multiple use trails and a modified scenic 
ride program are also proposed; and improvement of two existing Nordic 
trails (Agony and Ecstasy) by using limited rock blasting within the 
existing trail corridor.
    Infrastructural improvements include updating on-mountain utilities 
including power, water, sewer and communication lines.
    A number of other projects on private lands at Kirkwood are 
addressed in Kirkwood's 2003 Specific Plan. While facilities and 
projects located on private lands will not be analyzed in detail in 
this EIS, they have been incorporated into the overall planning and 
will be discussed cumulatively.
    The Proposed Action is consistent with the 1989 Eldorado National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan as amended by the Sierra 
Nevada Forest Plan Amendment Record of Decision (2001).
    The decision to be made is whether to adopt and implement the 
Proposed Action, an alternative to the Proposed Action, or take no 
action.
    Other alternatives will be developed based on significant issues 
identified during the scoping process for the Environmental Impact 
Statement. All alternatives will need to respond to the states Purpose 
and Need. Alternatives being considered at this time include: (1) No 
Action and (2) the Purposed Action.
    Public participation will be especially important at several points 
during the analysis. The Forest Service will be seeking information, 
comments, and assistance from the Federal, State, and local agencies 
and other individuals or organizations who may be interested in or 
affected by the Proposed Action. To facilitate public participation, 
information about the Proposed Action is being mailed to all who have 
expressed interest in the Proposed Action and notification of the 
public scoping period will be published in the Mountain Democrat, 
Placerville, CA.
    Comments submitted during the scoping process should be specific to 
this proposed action. The comments should describe as clearly and 
completely as possible any issues the commenter has with the proposal. 
The scoping process includes:
    (a) Identifying potential issues;
    (b) Identifying issues to be analyzed in depth.
    (c) Eliminating non-significant issues or those previously covered 
by a relevant previous environmental analysis;
    (d) Exploring additional alternatives;
    (e) Identifying potential environmental effects of the Proposed 
Action and alternatives;
    The draft EIS will be filed with the Environmental Protection 
Agency (EPA) and is expected to be available for public review by late 
Spring/early Summer 2004. EPA will publish a Notice of Availability 
(NOA) of the draft EIS in the Federal Register at that time. The 
comment period on the draft EIS will be 45 days from the date the EPA 
NOA appears in the Federal Register. At that time, copies of the draft 
EIS will be distributed to interested and affected agencies, 
organizations, and members of the public for their review and comment. 
It is very important that those interested in the management of the 
Eldorado National Forest participate at that time.
    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 
a 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 final EIS may be waived or 
dismissed by the courts (City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803f. 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 anticipated to be completed in fall 2004. In the 
final EIS, the Forest Service is required to respond to substantive 
comments 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.
    Judith Yandoh, Amador District Ranger, Eldorado National Forest is 
the responsible official. As the responsible official she will document 
the decision and reasons for the decision in the Record of Decision. 
That decision will be subject to Forest Service appeal regulations (36 
CFR part 215).


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    Dated: September 30, 2003.
Anthony Botello,
Acting Amador District Ranger.
[FR Doc. 03-25486 Filed 10-7-03; 8:45 am]
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