[Federal Register: August 30, 2005 (Volume 70, Number 167)]
[Notices]
[Page 51328-51329]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr30au05-27]
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Notices
Federal Register
________________________________________________________________________
This section of the FEDERAL REGISTER contains documents other than rules
or proposed rules that are applicable to the public. Notices of hearings
and investigations, committee meetings, agency decisions and rulings,
delegations of authority, filing of petitions and applications and agency
statements of organization and functions are examples of documents
appearing in this section.
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[[Page 51328]]
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit; El Dorado Co., CA, Douglas Co.,
NV, Alpine Co., CA, Heavenly Mountain Resort Master Plan Amendment,
2006
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Lake Tahoe
Basin Management Unit, will prepare a Draft Environmental Impact
Statement (DEIS) for the Heavenly Mountain Resort Master Plan
Amendment, 2006. This update includes operational improvements for more
efficient use of existing and proposed ski facilities, better skier
dispersal, summer activities and lodge locations. Heavenly Mountain
Resort is located within El Dorado and Alpine Co., California, and
Douglas Co., Nevada, on the border between California and Nevada,
adjacent to the community of Stateline. This Master Plan Amendment is
submitted based on the existing 1996 Master Plan as part of Heavenly's
special use permit.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by October 3, 2005. The draft environmental impact statement is
expected by December 2005 and the final environmental impact statement
is expected by June 2006.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Janine Clayton, Acting Forest
Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Dr., South
Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, email:
comments-pacificsouthwest-ltbmu@fs.fed.us.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Douglas Ridley, Interdisciplinary Team
Leader, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Dr., South Lake
Tahoe, CA, 96150.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
Purpose and Need for Action
Alpine skiing is the predominant land use within the Heavenly
Management Area. The Master Plan Amendment, 2006 is expected to
optimize the quality of skiing based upon annual assessments of the
skiing experience. The Forest Plan identifies maintaining a quality ski
resort as a desired future condition, thus the Master Plan Amendment,
2006 responds to changes in technology, resort ownership, market trends
and user preferences.
Proposed Action
The Heavenly Master Plan Amendment, 2006 is intended to update the
existing 1996 Heavenly Ski Resort Master Plan in order to incorporate
recommendations from comprehensive studies regarding lift technology,
mountain utilization and lodge locations. The DEIS will tier where
appropriate from the adopted 1996 Heavenly Ski Resort EIS/EIR. The
Master Plan provides for more efficient use of ski facilities and
summer activities, a better balance of skiers/riders between lifts and
trails, and improvement of facilities within the existing, developed
ski area to maximize guest safety and experience.
Possible Alternatives
Alternative 1 is a No Action/No Project alternative. All future
development would adhere to projects listed in the existing approved
master plan and be subject to all mitigation measures, project
limitations and timelines described therein. Alternative 2 is the
Proposed Action and is based on updating the 1996 Heavenly Ski Resort
Master Plan. The goal is improvement rather than expansion of resort
lift technology, facilities and recreation activities. Additional
alternatives may differ from the Proposed Action with possible
revisions to the North Bowl Express alignment, ski trail design,
snowmaking, and relocation of facilities and roads.
Lead and Cooperating Agencies
The USDA Forest Service, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit will
serve as the lead federal agency. It will produce an Environmental
Impact Statement (EIS) that satisfies the requirements of the National
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) and the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency
(TRPA). The TRPA is the lead agency under the Tahoe Regional Planning
Compact and will serve as the lead agency for a TRPA EIS. El Dorado
County, California will serve as the lead agency for preparation of an
Environmental Impact Report (EIR) under the California Environmental
quality Act (CEQA). The intention is to produce a joint document
meeting the requirements of NEPA, TRPA and CEQA.
Responsible Official
The responsible official is Janine Clayton, Acting Forest
Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Dr., South
Lake Tahoe, California, 96150.
Nature of Decision To Be Made
The Forest Service expects that a DEIS will be filed and made
available to the public and other commenting entities in December,
2005. Following public comment, a Final Environmental Impact Statement
(FEIS) is scheduled to be issued in June 2006 by the Forest Service.
The LTBMU expects an insignificant amendment to the Forest Plan.
Scoping Process
A public scoping meeting will be held on Wednesday, September 21 at
7 p.m. at the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit's Forest Supervisor's
office, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, California. Scoping will
occur on September 14 at the TRPA Advisory Planning Commission meeting
at the TRPA Governing Board Rooms, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV.
Scoping will continue at the September 28 TRPA Governing Board meeting
at the North Tahoe conference center, 8381 North Lake Blvd., Kings
Beach, CA.
Preliminary Issues
During preparation of the Master Plan Amendment 2005 Environmental
Assessment, the following issues were identified: The need to prepare a
project-level biological evaluation to analyze old growth and wildlife
habitat; scenic quality, and project implementation in a stream
environment zone. Due to the significance of these issues, it was
decided to complete an EIS and not issue a decision under the EA.
[[Page 51329]]
Permits or Licenses Required
The TRPA will issue project specific permits for projects and
activities within the Lake Tahoe Region, as approved under the Heavenly
Mountain Resort Master Plan Amendment.
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
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 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.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21)
Dated: August 23, 2005.
Tyrone Kelley,
Deputy Forest Supervisor, LTBMU.
[FR Doc. 05-17154 Filed 8-29-05; 8:45 am]
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