[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 89 (Tuesday, May 10, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 24499-24500]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-9254]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service

DEPARTMENT OF THE INTERIOR

Bureau of Land Management


Notice of Intent To Prepare an Environmental Impact Statement for 
the Sawtooth National Forest, Idaho; Twin Falls BLM District, ID; Bald 
Mountain Ski Resort Master Development Plan

AGENCIES: Forest Service, Agriculture, Lead Agency; Bureau of Land 
Management, Interior, Cooperating Agency.

ACTION: Notice of intent.

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: Pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 
(NEPA) and the Federal Land Policy and Management Act of 1976 (FLPMA), 
the USDA Forest Service (Lead Agency) and the USDOI Bureau of Land 
Management (Cooperating Agency) intend to prepare an Environmental 
Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze and disclose the effects of the 
updated Bald Mountain Ski Area Master Development Plan (MDP) and 40-
year term ski area permit application. Both agencies have authority 
over the Bald Mountain ski area, which is also known as the Sun Valley 
Ski Resort.

DATES: Written comments concerning the proposed action should be 
postmarked by June 9, 2005. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected to be available for public review and comment in July 2006 and 
the final environmental impact statement is expected to be available 
March 2007.

ADDRESSES: Written comments should be sent to Kurt Nelson, District 
Ranger at the Ketchum Ranger Station; P.O. Box 2356, Ketchum, ID 83340. 
Faxes should be sent to 208-622-3923 and e-mails to: [email protected]. Comments received on this proposal, 
including names and addresses, will be considered part of the public 
record and will be available for public inspection. Individual 
respondents may request confidentiality. If you wish to withhold your 
name or street address from public review or from disclosure under the 
Freedom of Information Act, you must state this prominently at the 
beginning of your written comment. Such requests will be honored to the 
extent allowed by law. All submissions from organizations and 
businesses, and from individuals identifying themselves as 
representatives or officials of organizations or businesses, will be 
available for public inspection in their entirety.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Joe Miczulski, Winter Sports Manager 
at the Ketchum Ranger District; P.O. Box 2356, Ketchum, ID 83340; or 
phone at (208) 622-5371.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Sun Valley Company has requested a new 40-
year term ski area permit for the Bald Mountain Ski Resort. The 
existing ski area permit, which was issued in December 1977, expires 
December 2007. One requirement for a ski area permit is to have an 
approved Master Development Plan (MDP), which is prepared by the permit 
holder and encompasses the entire winter sports resort envisioned for 
development and authorization by the permit. Upon acceptance by the 
Authorized Officers, the MDP becomes part of the ski area permit. The 
EIS will analyze the effects of the proposed action and alternatives. 
The agencies give notice of the National

[[Page 24500]]

Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis and decision making process on 
the proposal so interested and affected members of the public may 
participate and contribute to the final decision. The Sawtooth National 
Forest, as the lead for both agencies, invites written comments and 
suggestions on the scope of the analysis and the issues to address.
    The 1989 MDP currently guides the Forest Service and BLM in their 
administration of the special use permit for the ski area. A majority 
of the actions described in the 1989 MDP have been implemented. Given 
the age and status of the 1989 MDP, the Forest Service, BLM, and Sun 
Valley Company determined that an updated plan would be appropriate at 
this time. Sun Valley Company has updated their MDP for Bald Mountain 
Ski Area and presented it to the Forest Service and BLM in conjunction 
with their request for a new 40-year permit to continue operating on 
these public lands. The existing ski resort permit expires December 
2007.
    The draft MDP as submitted by Sun Valley Company is available 
electronically on the following Web sites: Sawtooth National Forest--
http://www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth and Sun Valley Company--http://www.sunvalley.com. An approved MDP will guide development on Bald 
Mountain Ski Area. Anticipated projects include new ski trail 
development both inside and outside of the current permit boundary, 
additional snowmaking installation, existing ski run modification, 
installation of new ski lifts, including gondola, removal of some 
existing ski lifts, and addition of a mountain restaurant. A Vegetation 
Management Plan (VMP) will be developed concurrently with the MDP, and 
will be shown as an appendix in the proposed MDP and analyzed as part 
of the proposed action. The VMP will assess current conditions of 
vegetative components on Bald Mountain, both with respect to timber and 
grass/forb species. The VMP will specify treatments necessary to enact, 
that will ensure long-term health of vegetation on Bald Mountain.

Purpose and Need For Action

    The purpose and need for the proposed MDP are as follows: Update 
the 1989 MDP to reflect current conditions and needs at the ski resort. 
Most of the improvements described in the 1989 MDP have been 
implemented. In addition, new ski area technologies, updated Land 
Management Plans, and changes in the environment have emerged during 
this time which warrant consideration in an updated MDP.

Proposed Action

    The proposed action to be analyzed in this EIS is to implement the 
MDP as submitted by the Sun Valley Company. The Agencies have a 
responsibility to determine consistency of the MDP with their 
respective Land Management Plans, to evaluate if any proposed 
facilities are in hazardous areas (i.e. avalanche path); evaluate if 
improvements are an appropriate use of Forest Service and BLM land; 
determine if private land is available to accomplish the proposed 
activities; and to make a public interest determination.

Possible Alternatives

    Possible alternatives include: Alt. 1--No Action (continuing the 
present course of action). The existing MDP would not be updated. The 
ski area permit would be renewed in 2007 and the current MDP would be 
made part of it. Alt. 2--Proposed Action, the MDP, as submitted by Sun 
Valley Company, would be attached to a new ski area permit. Other 
alternatives may be developed that meet the purpose and need and 
respond to issues associated with the proposed action.

Responsible Official

    The responsible officials are the Forest Supervisor for the 
Sawtooth National Forest and the District Manager for the Twin Falls 
District of the Idaho BLM.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    The decision to be made is whether or not to approve the proposed 
MDP as a condition of the special use permit, or to approve an 
alternative to the proposed action. After a MDP is approved, a 40-year 
ski area resort permit would be issued.

Scoping Process

    Public notices will be placed in local newspapers. Public meetings 
will be held in conjunction with Sun Valley Company. Informal public 
participation is encouraged throughout this process. Formal opportunity 
for public review and comment will be provided upon publication of the 
Draft EIS.

Comments Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement for the update of 
the Bald Mountain Ski Resort MDP.

Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review

    A draft environmental impact statement will be prepared for 
comment. The comment period on the draft environmental impact statement 
will be 45 days from the date the Environmental Protection Agency 
publishes the notice of availability in the Federal Register.
    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 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. 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 for the draft 
environmental impact statement 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 
environmental impact statement.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
raised by 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.

    Dated: March 15, 2005.
Ruth Monahan,
Sawtooth Forest Supervisor, Forest Service.

    Dated: March 17, 2005.
Howard Hedrick,
Twin Falls District Manager, BLM.
[FR Doc. 05-9254 Filed 5-9-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P