[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
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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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