[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 86 (Thursday, May 5, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 23836-23838]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-8880]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Mills Creek--Iditarod Trail Hut-to-Hut System Project on the 
Chugach National Forest, Kenai Peninsula Borough, AK

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) on a proposal from the Alaska Mountain and Wilderness 
Alaska Huts (Alaska Huts) to construct a backcountry hut-to-hut system 
traversing over 28 miles of trail and existing road. Approximately 16 
new miles of trail would be constructed with this project. The majority 
of all components of this project will occur on Chugach National Forest 
land in the Kenai Peninsula Borough.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by June 6, 2005.
    The Draft EIS is expected to be filed with the Environmental 
Protection Agency (EPA) and to be available for public review during 
the winter of 2005/2006. 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 the summer of 2006.

ADDRESSES: Address all comments concerning this notice to the Chugach 
National Forest, ATTN: Hut-to-Hut, PO Box 390, Seward, AK 99664. E-mail 
comments may be sent to: [email protected] [Subject: 
Hut-to-Hut].

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Karen Kromrey, Seward Ranger District 
Public Services Staff, Chugach National Forest, (907) 224-4105.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The information presented in this notice is 
included to help the reviewer determine if they are interested in or 
potentially affected by the proposed action.

Background

    Over the past seven years the Alaska Mountain and Wilderness Huts 
Association, a non profit organization, has expressed interest to the 
Chugach National Forest to establish a remote system of huts for skiing 
and hiking in the backcountry. Through the development of the Forest 
Plan a hut-to-hut system was determined to be desirable and 
incorporated into management area direction. In June 2002 the Chugach 
National Forest received a formal proposal from the Alaska Mountain and 
Wilderness Huts Association (Alaska Huts) requesting the issuance of a 
long term special use permit authorizing them to construct and operate 
four backcountry huts in the Ptarmigan Lake and Snow River drainage 
areas on the Kenai Peninsula. The Forest Service reviewed their 
proposal and through public involvement and the special uses screening 
process their proposed areas were eliminated from consideration. The 
Alaska Huts submitted a revised proposal for a hut-to-hut system in the 
Mills Creek-Johnson Pass Trail-Center Creek areas, also on the Kenai 
Peninsula. The Forest accepted this proposal in November 2004.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Chugach National Forest Revised Land and Resource Management 
Plan (RFP) identified Recreational Opportunities, Access and Facilities 
as one of the major areas of emphasis to be accomplished through 
implementation of the RFP (RFP pgs 3-1, 3-7 to 3-9). This includes a 
wide range of diverse, quality, recreational opportunities including 
the need to better disperse recreational capacity be developing new 
facilities and trails in response to user demands. In addition, the RFP 
identified the need to provide recreation opportunities for 
interpretation and education through a variety of means both on and off 
the Forest (RFP pgs 3-8 to 3-9).
    The purpose and need for this project is to:
    1. Provide additional remote recreational use facilities (huts) and 
trails that would extend the ability of the Kenai Peninsula to 
accommodate increased recreation use by drawing users away from the 
established road system, without diminishing the area's natural 
quality. There is a need to provide more recreational capacity to meet 
the increase demand for developed recreational facilitates for both 
summer and winter uses; provide new trails into undeveloped areas on 
the Kenai Peninsula to encourage recreation use away from the heavy 
concentrated use areas; and allow longer winter recreation trips to 
occur.
    2. Provide opportunities for interpretation and education as 
related to forest resources in the Mills Creek, Stormy Pass, Ohio 
Creek, and Center Creek areas. There is a need to provide backcountry 
recreation users information, resource interpretation, and education 
about the histories about the Mills Creek, Stormy Pass, and Center 
Creek areas. Having overnight campers concentrated at designated huts 
provides the opportunity to reach users with interpretative and 
educational messages. In addition, Outfitted and Guided hikes into the 
huts would provide additional education about the natural resources of 
the area.
    3. Provide a viable, high quality and unique recreation experience. 
There is a need to provide the permitted operator with a long-term (20-
year) permit so the proponent can make the investment and business 
decisions needed to provide a

[[Page 23837]]

viable, high quality, and unique recreation experience.

Proposed Action

    The Chugach National Forest proposes to allow a permitee to 
construct a backcountry hut-to-hut system traversing over 28 miles of 
trail and roads between Mills Creek via Stormy Pass to Johnson Pass to 
Center Creek and east to Center Creek Pass. There would be 
approximately 16 miles of new trail constructed with this project. The 
new trails would be designated non-motorized use year-round. The 
portion of Johnson Pass Trail that is within the project boundary would 
remain open to motorized use during the winter season. The four 
backcountry huts would be strategically placed 5-8 miles apart allowing 
visitors to travel between huts at a comfortable pace, even in 
unfavorable weather conditions. Where feasible, each hut would be 
placed off the main trail system via a spur trail. An emergency shelter 
is also proposed on Stormy Creek Pass to provide shelter during 
inclement weather.
    The hut facilities would be owned and operated by a third party 
under special use authorization. Each hut would accommodate a maximum 
of 20 guests per night. Other facilities associated with each hut would 
include a heating source for warmth (combination of wood, heating oil 
or propane); propane for cooking and some lights; solar panel for 
lighting; toilet facilities (composting and/or pit/vault); communal 
fire ring; water; grey water system; foot paths; and up to four 
outbuildings to provide storage for firewood, propane, heating oil, 
food; sauna; and toilet facilities. In addition, there maybe up to four 
tent platforms located near the hut to allow outdoor sleeping.
    The area immediately surrounding each hut, other facilities, and 
associated activities is called the Concentrated Use Area (CUA). Each 
CUA would impact an area approximately 1.5 acres. Efforts would be made 
to minimize the removal of trees and other vegetation. In addition to 
the hut related facilities, a helicopter landing site would be needed 
solely for supply restocking purposes and may affect up to 0.2 acres of 
vegetation. The helicopter landing site may not be within the CUA.
    Operations of all the huts would offer a combination of both full 
service and self-service accommodations. Full service accommodations 
include hut keepers on site answering questions and preparing meals at 
breakfast and dinner times. In addition, beverages and trail lunches 
would also be provided. Self-service would provide accommodations for 
hikers to use sleeping areas, pots and pans, cooking utensils, etc. 
Hikers would be expected to bring their own food and beverages with 
them. Both systems would require reservations.
    All four huts would be re-stocked using a combination of fixed wing 
and helicopters. The major re-supply events would occur during 
February, April/May, and October. A maximum of 15 round trip flights 
per year per hut for re-supply would occur. Each re-supply event would 
occur over a period of one-two days. Depending on maintenance 
requirements, an additional six flights per year may be necessary. 
These flights would need to be approved in advance. Staging areas for 
re-supply would be Seward Highway milepost 48.8 gravel pit, the Granite 
Creek gravel pit (MP 62), the Spencer gravel pit along the railroad, 
and possibly a site near the intersection of Portage Glacier Hwy. and 
Seward Hwy. Summer supply needs would be hiked, biked, or flown in via 
fixed wing. Fixed wing flights (using tundra tires or floats) are 
unrestricted by the RFP and would not entail or necessitate airstrip 
development.
    To protect resources near each hut a Resource Protection Area (RPA) 
would be identified based on topography and or trail location. The 
PRA's are designed to protect resources that surround the huts from 
over use, possible contamination of the water sources, hut user safety, 
and the back country hut recreation experience. The RPA's also make the 
management of the area easier for the special use permittee to maintain 
the area and manage the facilities. Within the RPA's there would be 
some restrictions that may include the discharge of firearms, use of 
pack animals, hunting, motorized use, dogs, etc.
    Construction of each hut would occur off-site on non-National 
Forest System lands closer to population centers. One or more of the 
huts would be constructed from timber harvested off-site from the 
Forest. Additional helicopter flights of 2-3 days would occur to 
transport all building materials to each hut site. Up to a 30 foot 
diameter yurt would be placed at each hut to provide shelter for 
construction workers. The yurts would be removed once the huts and 
associated facilities are operational.
    Five to six new bridges would be needed on the new trail segments. 
Each bridge would be approximately 40-60 feet long crossing various 
streams. This would result in two helicopter trips per bridge to 
deliver building materials. New trail and bridge construction would be 
phased in with the construction of the applicable hut the trail is 
accessing.

Preliminary Issues

    Listed below are possible issues that may be related to this 
project, but are not limited to:
     Impacts to the natural processes of the Mills Creek, 
Stormy Pass, Ohio Creek, and Center Creek areas (Center Creek Valley 
and Pass).
     Impacts to the mountain goats and Dall sheep.
     Avalanche dangers to winter recreation users and hut 
facilities.
     Impacts to anadromous streams in the project area.
     Impacts to visual due to placement of developed facilities 
in the backcountry.
     Conflicts with other recreation users and changes in 
recreation experience at hut locations.

Responsible Official

    The Forest Supervisor, Chugach National Forest, is the Responsible 
Official. The address is Chugach National Forest Supervisor's Office, 
3301 C Street, Anchorage, AK 99503.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The Forest Supervisor, as Responsible Official, may decide to: (1) 
Select the proposed action, (2) select one of the alternatives, (3) 
select one of the alternatives after modifying the alternative with 
additional mitigating measures or combinations of activities from other 
alternatives, or (4) select the no action alternative and take no 
action at this time.

Comment Requested

    The Forest Service would like to know of any issues, concerns, and 
suggestions you may have about this proposal. Comments should be as 
fully formed as possible to assist us in the analysis. If you have any 
questions, or if something is unclear, contact Karen Kromrey at 
907.224.4105 before submitting your comments. Although comments are 
welcome at any time, they will be most effective if received by June 6, 
2005.
    Send comments to: Chugach National Forest, ATTN: Hut-to-Hut, 344 
4th Ave., P.O. Box 390, Seward, AK 99664.
    Alternately, e-mail your comments to: [email protected] [Subject: Hut-to-Hut].

Public Meetings

    Below are the public meeting dates and locations for our scoping 
meetings:
May 23, 2005
5 p.m.-8 p.m. UAA-Commons Room 106, Anchorage, AK.

[[Page 23838]]

5 p.m.-8 p.m. Edgewater Hotel, 5th & Railroad Ave., Seward, AK 99664.
May 24, 2005
6 p.m.-8 p.m. Moose Pass School, Moose Pass, AK 99631.
7 p.m.-9 p.m. Community Hall, Girdwood, AK 99587.
May 25, 2005
5 p.m.-8 p.m. Community Hall, Cooper Landing, AK 99572.
June 1, 2005
5 p.m.-8 p.m. Soldotna Sports Center, Soldotna, AK 99669.

    Authorization: National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 as amended 
(42 U.S.C. 4321-4346); Council on Environmental Quality Regulations (40 
CFR parts 1500-1508); U.S. Department of Agriculture NEPA Policies and 
Procedures (7 CFR part 1b).
    Reviewer's Obligation: 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 the 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 stage but that are 
not raised until after completion of the final environmental impact 
statement 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. Wisc. 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 the 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 draft 
environmental impact statement 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 draft 
environmental impact statement 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.
    Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who 
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal 
and will be available for public inspection.

(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 
1909.15, Section 21).

    Dated: April 27, 2005.
Joe L. Meade,
Forest Supervisor, Chugach National Forest.
[FR Doc. 05-8880 Filed 5-4-05; 8:45 am]
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