[Federal Register Volume 59, Number 145 (Friday, July 29, 1994)]
[Unknown Section]
[Page 0]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 94-18459]
[[Page Unknown]]
[Federal Register: July 29, 1994]
VOL. 59, NO. 145
Friday, July 29, 1994
DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Jackson Hole Ski Area Upgrade and Expansion, Bridger-Teton
National Forest, Teton County, WY; Intent to Prepare Environmental
Impact Statement
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare Environmental Impact Statement.
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SUMMARY: The Forest Service will prepare an environmental impact
statement to analyze and disclose the effects of a proposal by the
Jackson Hole Ski Corporation (JHSC) to update the Master Plan for the
existing Jackson Hole Ski Area. The Jackson Hole Ski Area is located on
the Bridger-Teton National Forest within Teton County, Wyoming and is
presently under a Special Use Permit granted to the JHSC.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analyze should be received
by September 15, 1994.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to Chuck Jones, District Ranger,
Jackson Ranger District, P.O. Box 1689, Jackson, Wyoming 83001. Oral
comments will also be accepted.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT:Questions regarding the proposed action
and EIS should be directed to Rick Anderson, Forest Planner, Bridger-
Teton National Forest, Jackson, Wyoming, phone (307) 739-5558.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Jackson Hole Ski Area currently operates
on the Bridger-Teton National Forest under an existing special use
permit and approved Master Plan. Jackson Hole Ski Corporation's
proposal for updating the Master Plan for Jackson Hole Ski Area
includes the upgrading of existing lifts; the addition of new lifts;
and the upgrading and expansion of the existing trail network;
snowmaking capabilities, Nordic facilities, and skier support
facilities. This proposal would increase Jackson Hole's Ski Area
comfortable carrying capacity from the present level of 3,500 to 7,690
skiers. However, this would be less than what is currently approved
under JHSC's existing Master Plan. All the upgrades and expansions
proposed on land administered by the FOREST SERVICE would occur within
Jackson Hole's Ski area existing Ski Area boundary.
Under the proposal, seven of Jackson Hole's Ski Area existing eight
chairlifts would be replaced with new equipment and five of these lifts
would be realigned. In addition, six new lifts, including an out-of
base gondola, would be added. Together with the lifts, new trails would
be added to increase the trail network from the present 905.3 acres to
1,015.7 acres. The upgrading of existing trails would account for 26 of
the 110.4 acres of new trails. Construction of new trails would account
for the remaining 84.4 acres. The new acreage will consist of terrain
for beginner, novice, and intermediate skiers. Furthermore, the Area's
snowmaking capabilities would be expanded to cover a total of 391.8
acres. This would be an increase of 325 acres over the existing
situation.
Jackson Hole's Ski Area Nordic skiing facility would be upgraded
and expanded to improve its quality and visibility. The network of
trails at the facility would be expanded to accommodate a broader range
of skier ability levels and provide a better diversity of terrain. As a
result, the trail network may be increased by 7 kilometers to a total
of 25 kilometers. Skier support facilities also would be upgraded and
expanded, primarily in the base area at Teton Village. On the mountain,
the Casper Restaurant would be expanded and three new mountain
restaurants and visitor facilities would be constructed. The existing
retail space, rental and repair shop, ski school, daycare facilities,
administrative and maintenance/operations facilities at the base would
be expanded and upgraded. Finally, Jackson Hole's Ski Area
infrastructure would be upgraded and expanded. An additional 2.9 miles
of roads on the mountain would be added to the existing 13.6 miles of
roads to provide access to the new lifts and 1,151 parking spaces would
be added to 1,100 spaces. Finally, utilities would be expanded to the
new facilities and upgraded to the existing facilities.
The purpose of and need for JHSC's proposal is to revise and update
the existing Master Plan to improve the quality of the ski experience
at Jackson Hole Ski Area while preserving and enhancing the unique
qualities of the Jackson Hole's Ski Area environs. The improvements
included in the proposal would enable Jackson Hole Ski Area to respond
to evolving customer preferences. The need to provide these
improvements arises from changes in the skiing market and changes in
Ski Area technology that have occurred since the current Master Plan
approved.
The decision to be made is whether or not to approve a Master Plan
revision for Jackson Hole Ski Area and to assure that any decision made
is consistent with the Bridger-Teton National Forest Land and Resource
Management Plan's direction.
Preliminary issues associated with this proposal include
transportation and parking, effects on visual resource, effects on
hydrology, effects on management of vegetation, and coordination with
Teton County's Master Planning efforts.
The FOREST SERVICE invites comments and suggestions on the scope of
the analysis to be documented in the draft environmental impact
statement (DEIS). In addition, the FOREST SERVICE gives notice that it
is beginning a full environmental analysis and decison-making process
for this proposal so that interested or affected people may know how
they may participate in the environmental analysis and contribute to
the final decision. A public ``scoping'' meeting is tentatively
scheduled for AUGUST 16, 1994 in Jackson, Wyoming. The purpose of this
meeting is to learn what issues and concerns members of the public or
interested agencies have that are connected to the proposal and should
be considered. Knowledge of these issues and concerns will help
establish the scope of the FOREST SERVICE's environmental analysis and
define the kind and range of alternatives to be considered. The
proposed action and the process of environmental analysis and
disclosure to be followed in evaluating this proposal will be described
and explained. The FOREST SERVICE welcomes any public comments on the
proposal.
The responsible Official will be the Forest Supervisor, Bridger-
Teton National Forest, P.O. Box 1888, Jackson, Wyoming, 83001.
We expect to publish a draft environmental impact statement in
January 1995, and to complete a final environmental impact statement by
the end of 1995.
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
contention. Vermont Yankee Nuclear Power Corporation 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
after completion of the final environmental impact statement may be
waived or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F2d
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 proposal 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 alternatives formulated
and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer to the
Council of Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing the
procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40
CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points. Please note that comments you
make on the draft environmental impact statement will be regarded as
public information.
Benjamin T. Worthington,
Acting Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 94-18459 Filed 7-28-94; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-M
