[Federal Register Volume 73, Number 13 (Friday, January 18, 2008)]
[Notices]
[Pages 3449-3450]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: E8-631]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


White River National Forest; Summit County, CO; Breckenridge Ski 
Resort--Peak 6 Terrain Development Proposal

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) to disclose the anticipated environmental effects of 
the Breckenridge Ski Resort Peak 6 Terrain Development proposal. This 
proposal is designed to provide for an improved balance of services to 
meet the needs and expectations of guests.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by February 17, 2008. The draft environmental impact statement is 
expected in November 2008 and the final environmental impact statement 
is expected in January 2009.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Maribeth Gustafson, Forest 
Supervisor, c/o Roger Poirier, Winter Sports Program Manager, White 
River National Forest, 900 Grand Avenue, Glenwood Springs, CO 81602-
0948.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Shelly Grail--Snow Ranger, Dillon 
Ranger District, P.O. Box 620, Silverthorne, CO 80498, 
[email protected], or (970) 262-3484.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The proposed action addresses issues related 
to the quality of the recreational experience. Presently, alpine 
skiing/snowboarding and other resort activities are provided to the 
public through a Special Use Permit (SUP) issued by the White River 
National Forest. All elements of the proposal are within the existing 
SUP boundary area. The proposed improvements are consistent with the 
2002 Revised White River National Forest Land and Resource Management 
Plan (Forest Plan).

Purpose and Need for Action

    Given the current visitation rates, guest experiences, and terrain 
distribution concerns, the following needs are addressed by the 
proposed action:
    1. Better accommodation of current daily visitation levels.
    2. Reduced skier/rider congestion on BSR's existing Intermediate 
and Advanced Intermediate terrain network and associated lifts.
    3. Reduced waiting time for lifts at BSR.
    4. Efficient dispersal of Intermediate and Advanced Intermediate 
skiers/riders across the entire skiable terrain network.
    5. Additional lift-served terrain to accommodate the existing 
terrain distribution deficit.
    6. Additional hike-to access servicing advanced ability levels.
    7. Sufficient infrastructure in pods to serve guests.

Proposed Action

    All proposed projects are within Breckenridge Ski Resort's (BSR) 
existing SUP boundary. The proposed action includes:
     Developing terrain on Peak 6 that would encompass 
approximately 450 acres of traditional downhill and hike-to skiing 
accessed by a single lift.
     Installing a bottom-drive, high-speed, detachable, six-
person lift to service the Peak 6 terrain with a slope length of 5,963 
feet, a vertical rise of 1,537 and a design capacity of 3,000 people 
per hour.
     Constructing a food and beverage facility (including 
restrooms and associated infrastructure) at the bottom terminal of the 
proposed lift. The food and beverage facility would be approximately 
1,800 square feet in size and seat approximately 150 guests.
     Constructing a ski patrol/warming hut at the proposed top 
terminal location on Peak 6.
     Rehabilitating and extending decommissioned roads within 
the South Barton timber sale patch cut areas to specific locations to 
gain access to Peak 6 for construction and future maintenance needs.
     Installing a power line to the proposed top terminal 
location in a corridor that minimizes impacts to environmentally 
sensitive areas.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is Maribeth Gustafson, Forest Supervisor 
for the White River National Forest, 900 Grand Ave., P.O. Box 948, 
Glenwood Springs, Colorado 81602. The responsible official will 
document the decision and reasons for the decision in a Record of 
Decision. That decision will be subject to appeal under 36 CFR part 215 
or part 251.

Nature of Decision To Be Made

    Based on the analysis that will be documented in the forthcoming 
EIS, the responsible official will decide whether or not to implement, 
in whole or in part, the proposed action or another alternative 
developed by the Forest Service.

Scoping Process

    Public questions and comments regarding this proposal are an 
integral part of this environmental analysis process. Comments will be 
used to identify issues and develop alternatives to BSR's proposal. To 
assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues and 
concerns on the proposed action, comments should be as specific as 
possible. Input provided by interested and/or affected individuals, 
organizations and governmental agencies will be used to identify 
resource issues that will be analyzed in the Draft EIS. The Forest 
Service will identify significant issues raised during the scoping 
process, and use them to formulate alternatives, prescribe mitigation 
measures and project design features, or analyze environmental effects.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the environmental impact statement.

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

[[Page 3450]]

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 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 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.

    Dated: January 8, 2008.
Maribeth Gustafson,
Forest Supervisor.
 [FR Doc. E8-631 Filed 1-17-08; 8:45 am]
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