Durango Mountain Resort 2004 Master Development Plan; San Juan National Forest; La Plata County, CO, 61115-61116 [05-20964]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 70, Number 202 (Thursday, October 20, 2005)]
[Notices]
[Pages 61115-61116]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 05-20964]


-----------------------------------------------------------------------

DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Durango Mountain Resort 2004 Master Development Plan; San Juan 
National Forest; La Plata County, CO

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

-----------------------------------------------------------------------

SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) to disclose the anticipated environmental effects of 
the Durango Mountain Resort (DMR) 2004 Master Development Plan. The MDP 
includes plans to upgrade and expand DMR within the existing Special 
Use Permit (SUP) area to achieve a balance of guest service facilities 
and skiing opportunities with existing and proposed visitation, thereby 
enhancing the quality of the recreation experience. Additionally, the 
proposal includes plans to upgrade and increase the multiple use trails 
network on NFS lands, due to the displacement of multiple use trails on 
private lands from approved DMR base area development; and develop a 
trailhead to include toilet facilities and parking on the east side of 
Highway 550, outside of DMR's SUP area.
    The major aspects of the Proposed Action include:
     Replace existing lifts 2 and 8 with higher capacity lifts 
along their existing alignments, and shorten Lift 6 along its same 
alignment while utilizing the same lift equipment.
     Install one six-person lift (Lift 11), five three or four-
person chairlifts (lifts 12, 13, 14, 16 and 17), one surface beginner 
lift (Lift 15), and four lateral surface (transfer lifts--T1, T2, T2' 
and T3).
     Construct new roads to access Lift 11 top terminal (1,000 
feet), Lift 2 bottom terminal (250 feet), Lift 14 top terminal (800 
feet), and Lift 16 bottom terminal (200 feet). Bury power line from the 
top of Lift 4, down Salvation trail to the base of Lift 11, and along 
lifts T2, T2' and T3 to service new lifts.
     Create 17 new trails primarily in the areas associated 
with new lifts to improve the overall terrain distribution by skier 
ability level and to better meet the skier market demand.
     Improve four trails within the existing trail network and 
develop one gladed area and one tree skiing area with 20 percent tree 
thinning.
     Re-route the existing snowmobile access route.
     Install snowmaking infrastructure, make snow on the first 
400 feet of the proposed re-route, and groom the re-route periodically 
to create a smooth ridable surface for snowmobile riders of all ability 
levels.
     Develop a snowmobile parking/staging area along Hermosa 
Park Road, north of Purgatory Village on the west side of Highway 550, 
which would accommodate cars, trucks, and trailers.
     Relocate the existing snowmobile outfitter and guide to 
the top of the Twilight Lift (Chair 4).
     Expand snowmaking coverage on 14 existing trails and two 
proposed trails (detailed below) by approximately 149 acres for a 
resort total of 364 acres.

 
 
 
Styx               The Bank           Divinity          Dead Spike
Lower Hades        Upper Hermosa      Pinkerton Toll    Legends
                                       Road
Lower Catharsis    Angel's Tread      Nirvana           Proposed Run
Mercy              Columbine          Peace             Proposed
                                                         Snowmobile Re-
                                                         route
 

     Expand the existing Powderhouse Restaurant by 
approximately 11,000 square feet to include a restaurant with 419 
additional seats, restrooms, a ski school desk, retail services, and 
public lockers. Expand the on-site septic system.
     Expand the existing Dante's Restaurant by 1,200 square 
feet to include a restaurant with 473 additional seats and guest 
services similar to those at the Powderhouse. This facility would 
continue to operate during the winter season and is proposed for summer 
use as well. Re-drill two existing wells to produce a higher water flow 
for domestic water needs. Upgrade the on-site septic system.
     Construct a new 13,500 square foot lodge adjacent to the 
top terminal of Twilight Lift (4) to include a 444-seat 
restaurant, restrooms, a ski school desk, retail, and public lockers. 
This facility is proposed for winter and summer use. Haul domestic 
water from existing storage tanks or proposed well and develop an on-
site septic system.
     Drill one additional well along the Pinkerton Toll Road 
ski trail to provide additional domestic water for the resort.
     Double the size of the aboveground fuel storage tanks at 
the mid-mountain maintenance building.
     Provide additional multiple use trails and a trailhead. 
The trailhead will include toilet facilities and a parking area with a 
capacity of approximately 36 vehicles. The sleigh ride/American with 
Disablities Act (ADA) accessible trail will be eight feet wide to 
accommodate the sleigh and will meet all ADA requirements. Proposed 
trail additions include: hiking (0.6 mile), mountain biking (0.7 mile), 
Nordic skiing (1.7 Km), Sleigh ride/ADA accessible (1.0 Km).

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by November 21, 2005.

ADDRESSES: Written comments concerning this notice should be addressed 
to Richard Speegle at the San Juan Public Lands Center, 15 Burnett 
Court, Durango, CO 81301. Comments may also be sent via e-mail to 
richard_speegle@co.blm.gov or via facsimile to (970) 375-2973.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Richard Speegle, Supervisory 
Recreation Planner, at the Public Lands Center via telephone at (970) 
375-3310. 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 Standard Time, Monday 
through Friday.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The Proposed Action addresses issues related 
to the recreation experience. Presently, alpine skiing/snowboarding and 
other resort activities are provided to the public through a Special 
Use Permit (SUP) issued by the Forest Service and administered by the 
San Juan National Forest. All elements of the proposal remain within 
the existing SUP boundary area, except the additional proposed multiple 
use trails project outside the DMR SUP area.
    The proposed improvements are consistent with the San Juan National 
Forest Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan). The proposed 
improvements are considered necessary in light of current resort 
deficiencies and projected future visitation.

Purpose and Need for Action

    The Forest Service and Durango Mountain Resort (DMR) cooperatively 
identified a purpose for this proposal, which is to upgrade and expand 
DMR within the existing Special Use Permit (SUP) area to achieve a 
balance of guest service facilities and skiing opportunities with 
existing and proposed visitation, thereby enhancing

[[Page 61116]]

the quality of the recreation experience. An additional purpose for 
this proposal is to upgrade and expand the existing and displaced 
multiple use trails system on the east side of Highway 550, including 
Nordic skiing, sleigh ride, equestrian, ADA accessible, and hiking; and 
increase the existing mountain biking trails within the DMR SUP to 
provide continued public access to maintain and improve the recreation 
experience.

Responsible Official

    The responsible official is Mark Stiles, Forest Supervisor for the 
San Juan National Forest, Public Lands Center, 15 Burnett Court, 
Durango, CO 81301. 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 for this project, the Forest Supervisor 
of the San Juan National Forest, 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 DMR'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.

Preliminary Issues

    Identified preliminary issues include:
     Water quantity and quality.
     Wetlands.
     Wildlife and vegetation (Threatened, Endangered, and 
Sensitive species).
     Quality of the recreation experience.

Comment Requested

    This notice of intent initiates the scoping process which guides 
the development of the draft environmental impact statement, including 
the identification of the range of alternatives to be considered. While 
public participation is strictly optional at this stage, the Forest 
Service believes that it is important to give reviewers notice of 
several court rulings related to public participation in the subsequent 
environmental review process. First, reviewers of draft 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 45 
day draft environmental impact statement 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 also may 
address the adequacy of the draft environmental impact statement or the 
merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed in the statement. 
In addressing these points, reviewers may wish to refer to the Council 
on Environmental Quality regulations which implement the procedural 
provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at 40 CFR 1503.3.

    Dated: October 13, 2005.
Pauline E. Ellis,
Columbine District Ranger, San Juan National Forest.
[FR Doc. 05-20964 Filed 10-19-05; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 3410-11-P