Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California, South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use Trail Project, 69097-69099 [06-9444]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 71, Number 229 (Wednesday, November 29, 2006)]
[Notices]
[Pages 69097-69099]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 06-9444]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California, South Tahoe 
Greenway Multi-Use Trail Project

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

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

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SUMMARY: The South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use Trail is a California Tahoe 
Conservancy (Conservancy) proposed Class I or better trail that will 
link Meyers, California to Stateline, Nevada, generally following the 
former Caltrans U.S. Highway 50 Bypass Corridor. The trail will form 
the backbone of the bike trail network in South Lake Tahoe and line 
residential and lodging uses to jobs, schools, shopping, and recreation 
and community areas. The trail implements specific goals and policies 
of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the USDA Forest Service 
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS), and Conservancy to provide a 
non-motorized alternative transportation corridor through South Lake 
Tahoe. Approximately 0.5 mile of the trail corridor will cross National 
Forest lands in approximately six locations.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
by December 20, 2006. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) 
is expected by summer 2007 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement 
(FEIS) is expected by fall/winter 2007.

ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Ray Lacey, Program Coordinator, 
California Tahoe Conservancy, 1061 Third Street, South Lake Tahoe, 
California, 96150, e-mail: rlacey@tahoecons.ca.gov.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Dickinson, NEPA Coordinator, Lake 
Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 
96150, Mattdickinson@fs.fed.us, (530) 543-2769; or Lisa O'Daly, 
Recreation Program Manager, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, P.O. Box 
5310, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV 89449, lodaly@trpa.org, (775) 
589-5242.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose and need for action: Complete 
accessible and continuous multi-use trail from the existing Class I 
trail in Meyers, California to Stateline, Nevada

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that establishes a convenient non-auto transportation alternative and 
high quality recreational experience for residents and visitors. The 
South Shore roadway network suffers from excessive traffic congestion 
and the resulting degradation of air quality The South Shore also lacks 
continuous Class I facilities for bicycles and pedestrians that provide 
high quality recreational opportunities. The Tahoe Regional Planning 
Agency (TRPA) Regional Transportation Plan/Air Quality Plan identifies 
the unconstructed State Route 50 right-of-way as an opportunity for 
development of a portion of the bicycle and pedestrian network to 
reduce dependence on private autos and improve air quality.
    Proposed action: The Conservancy is proposing to construct a 9.6-
mile long multi-purpose trail that will provide residents and visitors 
with a non-motorized, alternative transportation corridor from Meyers, 
California (near the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and Pioneer Trail) 
to Stateline, Nevada (near the proposed Van Sickle Bi-State Park). The 
South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use Trail will generally follow the former 
Caltrans U.S. Highway 50 Bypass Corridor and will also utilize other 
publicly (including National Forest) and privately owned lands.
    Possible alternatives: Potential alternatives include the 
following: (1) Use of the new El Dorado County Sawmill Trail (located 
west of U.S. Highway 50) from Meyers to the intersection of Meadowvale 
or Elks Club and U.S. Highway 50; (2) Use of the U.S. Highway 50 
corridor from Pioneer Trail to near Kyburz Avenue, bending around the 
north side of the Lake Tahoe Airport and crossing back east toward the 
South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use trail corridor through Barton Meadow and 
over the Upper Truckee River on private property; (3) Use of 
alternative trail design measures (e.g., boardwalks, bridges, porous 
paving materials) to reduce or eliminate effects to sensitive 
resources; (4) Use of Pioneer Trail right of way from the South Tahoe 
Greenway Multi-Use Trail's crossing location at Pioneer Trail to Ski 
Run Boulevard, then using Ski Run Boulevard, connecting back to the 
South Tahoe Greenway; (5) Use of Pioneer Trail right-of-way from Ski 
Run Boulevard to the trail's terminus at U.S. Highway 50; and (6) 
maximize use of the former U.S. Highway 50 bypass right-of-way in the 
Sunset Stables project area located east of the Lake Tahoe Airport by 
locating the trail in the eastern-most forested area of the Sunset 
Stables project and at a higher elevation to allow for greater 
flexibility during future Conservancy design of the Sunset Stables 
river restoration project.
    Lead, Joint Lead, and Cooperating Agencies: The Conservancy is 
planning to construct the South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use Trail. The 
Conservancy, USFS, and TRPA are preparing a joint Environmental Impact 
Report (EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to inform agency 
decision makers about the potential environmental effects of the 
project. This joint document will serve as an EIR prepared by the 
Conservancy (lead CEQA agency) pursuant to the California Environmental 
Quality Act (CEQA); an EIS prepared by the USFS (lead federal agency) 
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and an EIS 
prepared by TRPA pursuant to its regulations.
    Responsible Official and Mailing Address: For Forest Service 
Decision, Terri Marceron, Forest Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin 
Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 is the 
responsible official.
    Decision to Be Made: The decision to be made is whether to 
construct a Class I trail on approximately \1/2\ mile of National 
Forest System land in conjunction with construction of a Class I trail 
along the U.S. Highway 50 right-of-way as described in the proposed 
action, to implement another combination of activities which meets the 
purpose and need for action, or to take no action at this time.
    Scoping Process: Public scoping began with the publication of this 
Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. Notice of the preparation of 
the environmental documentation is also being published in a local 
newspaper (Tahoe Daily Tribune) and mailed to adjacent property owners. 
Public scoping opportunities with agency staff will be provided on the 
following dates: The City of South Lake Tahoe will provide an 
opportunity for public input at their Council hearing on Tuesday, 
November 28 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Lake Tahoe Airport, 1901 Airport 
Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA; and the TRPA will hold a public scoping 
hearing before their Hearings Officer on December 14 beginning at 2 
p.m. at the TRPA offices, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV. The Forest 
Service will accept comments at these public meetings.
    Preliminary Issues: During preparation of the Multi-Use Trail 
Preliminary Concept Plans, the following issues were identified: 
Disturbance of stream environment zone and the Upper Truckee River 
floodplain from new trail construction; potential water quality 
degradation from runoff and erosion from new trail creation; wildlife 
habitat environmental effects from direct habitat removal and potential 
habitat degradation from increased visitation to the project area; 
effects to sensitive vegetation communities and loss of ``old growth'' 
trees as defined by the TRPA Code of Ordinances; effects to scenic 
quality along scenic highways and at the Pioneer Trail roadway 
crossing; conflicts (e.g., public safety and traffic flow) with 
vehicular circulation in neighborhood areas and at roadway 
intersections; consistency with public safety plans and policies, such 
as the Lake Tahoe Airport Comprehensive Land Use Plan; consistency with 
the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Plan; and consistency with 
the goals of the Conservancy Sunset Stables Restoration and Resource 
Management Plan Project.
    Identification of Permits or Licenses Required: The TRPA, 
California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers 
and California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region 
may issue project specific permits for trail segments within the Lake 
Tahoe Region.
    Comment Requested: This notice of intent initiates the scoping 
process that guides the development of the environmental impact 
statement. The Forest Service would like to know the views of 
interested persons, organizations, and agencies as to the scope and 
content of the information to be included and analyzed in the DEIS. 
Agencies should comment on the elements of the environmental 
information that are relevant to their statutory responsibilities in 
connection with the proposed alternatives. Comments must be received by 
December 20, 2006.
    Person to Which Comments may be Mailed: Send written comments to: 
Ray Lacey, Program Coordinator, California Tahoe Conservancy, 1061 
Third Street, South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, e-mail: 
rlacey@tahoecons.ca.gov.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: There will be additional opportunities to comment 
on this project in addition to this scoping period. When the DEIS is 
released there will be a 45 day comment period from the date the 
Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability of 
the DEIS 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,

[[Page 69099]]

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 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 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: November 21, 2006.
Nancy J. Gibson,
Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
[FR Doc. 06-9444 Filed 11-28-06; 8:45 am]
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