[Federal Register Volume 75, Number 225 (Tuesday, November 23, 2010)]
[Notices]
[Pages 71414-71415]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2010-29456]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Questa Ranger District, Carson National Forest; Taos County, NM; 
Taos Ski Valley's 2010 Master Development Plan--Phase 1 Projects

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: Taos Ski Valley (TSV) is a downhill ski area located in the 
Sangre de Cristo Mountains, about 20 miles northeast of Taos, New 
Mexico, at the terminus of State Road 150, on the Rio Hondo, in Taos 
County. The Forest Service is proposing to authorize several (Phase I) 
projects included in the Taos Ski Valley (TSV) 2010 Master Development 
Plan (MDP). These proposed projects include: Adding new lifts to serve 
terrain that is currently only accessible by hiking; replacing old 
lifts; creating new gladed terrain; improving traffic circulation 
throughout the day parking lots and a new drop-off area; construction 
of the Taos Adventure Center (snowtubing and snowshoeing trails); and a 
lift-served mountain biking trail. All proposed projects are within the 
existing special use permit (SUP) area. The Forest Service is preparing 
an environmental impact statement (EIS) to consider and disclose the 
anticipated environmental

[[Page 71415]]

effects of Taos Ski Valley's 2010 Master Development Plan--Phase 1 
Projects.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis should be received 
by January 17, 2011. The draft environmental impact statement (draft 
EIS) is expected to be available for public review in August 2011 and 
the final environmental impact statement (final EIS) and record of 
decision (ROD) are expected in December 2011.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Carson National Forest, Taos Ski 
Valley MDP--Phase 1 Projects, 208 Cruz Alta Road, Taos, NM 87571. 
Comments may also be sent via e-mail to [email protected] or facsimile to (575) 758-6213.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Additional information related to the 
proposed project can be obtained from the Forest's Web page at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r3/carson/. The Forest Service contact is Audrey 
Kuykendall, who can be reached at 575-758-6200.
    Individuals who use telecommunication devices for the deaf (TDD) 
may call the Federal Information Relay Service (FIRS) at 1-800-877-8339 
between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m., Eastern Time, Monday through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: In 2010, Kendall Clark, Forest Supervisor 
for the Carson National Forest, accepted a new MDP for Taos Ski Valley, 
which provides a comprehensive plan for future improvements to the 
resort.
    Purpose and Need for Action: Taos Ski Valley has not made any 
significant infrastructural or qualitative improvements within its 
permit area over the past two decades. In order to remain economically 
viable in the competitive destination skier/rider market and continue 
to provide a quality recreational experience into the future, TSV needs 
to refocus on meeting its guests' demands and expectations. The 
proposed action is designed to address TSV's economic and recreational 
needs within its existing permit area. These needs are:
    1. Lift service to high-alpine, advanced intermediate and expert 
terrain.
    2. Access to heavily treed portions of the existing permit area.
    3. Quality alternative winter and summer activities.
    4. A more efficient lift network.
    5. Better resort access.
    6. Improved vehicular circulation throughout the day parking lots.
    Proposed Action: In order to meet the purpose and need, the Forest 
Service is proposing several projects within TSV's existing special use 
permit boundary administered by the Carson National Forest. The 
proposed action includes:

--Developing two new lift-served, gladed areas--the Minnesota Glades 
and the Wild West Glades (approx. 108 ac). These areas would be 
accessible by both new and proposed lifts.
--Installing a new bottom-drive, fixed-grip chairlift--the Main Street 
Lift--to service approximately 63 acres of terrain above Chair 4 that 
are currently only accessible by an approximate 45-minute hike along 
Highline Ridge. The proposed Main Street Lift would provide low 
capacity lift service up to an elevation of 12,466 feet.
--Installing a new bottom-drive, fixed-grip chairlift--the Ridge Lift--
to access existing terrain off West Basin Ridge as well, as the 
proposed Wild West Glades. Round-trip skiing/riding this terrain would 
require use of the existing Lift 8, as well as the proposed Ridge Lift.
--Constructing a dedicated snowtubing facility--the Adventure Center--
within the northwestern portion of the SUP area. The Adventure Center 
would include yurts for guest services, a carpet conveyor lift serving 
four tubing lanes, and a small building for tube storage. A shuttle 
would provide access to the Taos Adventure Center from TSV's base area, 
and parking spaces in TSV's existing day lots would be dedicated for 
Adventure Center guests.
--Establishing a 2-mile (approx.) network of marked interpretive 
snowshoeing trails beginning near the Adventure Center to supplement 
non-sliding winter activities.
--Constructing a 3.6-mile, lift served mountain bike trail between the 
top of Lift 1 and the base area to provide alternative summer 
recreational activities.
--Reconfiguring the existing parking lots to better accommodate traffic 
circulation and pedestrian access to the base area. The Bear and Bison 
lots would be reconfigured to allow the Bison lot to become a 
thoroughfare.
--Constructing an extra parking bay north of the Armadillo lot. The 
reconfiguration and extra parking bay would have no net gain or loss of 
day parking.
--Replacing Lifts 4, 5, and 7, which are antiquated and in need of 
modernizing and upgrading.

    Responsible Official: The responsible official is Kendall Clark, 
Forest Supervisor for the Carson National Forest.
    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 that may be developed by the Forest Service as a 
result of scoping.
    Scoping Process: This notice of intent initiates the scoping 
process, which guides the development of the environmental impact 
statement. The Forest Service is soliciting comments from Federal, 
State and local agencies and other individuals or organizations that 
may be interested in or affected by implementation of the proposed 
projects. Public questions and comments regarding this proposal are an 
integral part of this environmental analysis process. 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.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation of 
the environmental impact statement. Therefore, comments should be 
provided prior to the close of the comment period and should clearly 
articulate the reviewer's concerns and contentions.
    Comments received in response to this solicitation, including names 
and addresses of those who comment, will be part of the public record 
for this proposed action. Comments submitted anonymously will be 
accepted and considered, however.

    Dated: November 16, 2010.
Kendall Clark,
Carson National Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2010-29456 Filed 11-22-10; 8:45 am]
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