Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe-Atoma Area Environmental Impact Statement, 33047-33048 [2013-13010]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 78, Number 106 (Monday, June 3, 2013)]
[Notices]
[Pages 33047-33048]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Printing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2013-13010]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Carson Ranger District Mt. Rose 
Ski Tahoe--Atoma Area Environmental Impact Statement

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement 
(EIS).

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SUMMARY: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest (HTNF), Carson Ranger 
District, will prepare an environmental impact statement to analyze the 
effects of a proposal from Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe (Mt. Rose) to expand its 
lift and terrain network. The project is located approximately 12 miles 
west of the intersection of Mt. Rose Highway (Nevada State Route 431) 
and U.S. 395, immediately north of the Mt. Rose base lodge and parking 
area. The project is located on both private and National Forest System 
(NFS) land within Washoe County, Nevada.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis would be most 
helpful if received within 30 days of the publication of this notice in 
the Federal Register. At this time, the draft EIS is expected to be 
available for public review in fall/winter 2013, with a final EIS 
available in spring/summer 2014.

ADDRESSES: Written comments can be submitted by any of the following 
methods:
     Electronic comments: Select the ``Comment on this 
Project'' link on the HTNF Web site at https://www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=41487.
     U.S. Mail: Mail to Linda Crawley, Team Leader, Humboldt-
Toiyabe National Forest, 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, Nevada 89431.
     Fax to 775-355-5399. Please use a fax cover sheet and 
include ``Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe--Atoma Area EIS'' in the subject line.
     Hand Delivered: 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, Nevada 89431, 
8:00 a.m.-4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday, except federal holidays.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For further information and/or to have 
your name added to our mailing list, please contact Linda Crawley, 
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 775-355-5377, lcrawley@fs.fed.us. 
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: 
    Purpose and Need for Action: The purpose of the proposed project is 
to enhance the skiing experience at Mt. Rose and meet the ever-changing 
expectations of the recreating public. Two primary needs have been 
identified: (1) Provide additional terrain at Mt. Rose that is 
comfortable and appropriate for low-level skiers and riders. (2) 
Enhance Mt. Rose's ability to provide a consistent and quality snow 
surface on key ski terrain throughout the season.
    Although Mt. Rose is well known for its abundance of expert 
terrain, due to the topography of public and private lands that compose 
the existing ski area, it suffers from a lack of terrain suitable for 
low-level skiers and riders. As a result, Mt. Rose struggles to provide 
a full range of beginner, novice, and intermediate terrain that is 
necessary for a logical ``learning progression,'' which is critical for 
skiers and riders as they gain skills and confidence. Also, it is 
common for advanced intermediate and expert skiers/riders to descend 
through lower-level terrain on their way to the base area. This mixing 
of ability levels is intimidating for lower levels skiers and riders, 
and is inconsistent with the type of recreational offering that Mt. 
Rose strives to provide.
    In addition, inefficiencies in Mt. Rose's snowmaking system prevent 
the resort from capitalizing on intermittent periods of cold 
temperatures within which snow can be most efficiently produced.
    Proposed Action: The HTNF proposes to authorize a special use 
permit (SUP) boundary adjustment on NFS land to create the Atoma lift 
and trail ``Pod'' to the north of the Mt. Rose Highway. The proposed 
Atoma trail plan includes 11 defined trails, and takes advantage of 
both the location and topography of the area while strategically 
preserving large tree islands that would be appropriate for lower-level 
skiers and riders to navigate. No new roads are proposed; the design 
makes use of the existing road network (including the Old Mt. Rose 
Highway) by incorporating it into the trail plan. These existing roads 
will also facilitate construction and

[[Page 33048]]

maintenance of the proposed lift and trail network. All proposed trails 
will be groomed on a rotating basis, as needed, to maintain a 
consistent snow surface. Glades (tree stands that have been 
strategically thinned, thereby increasing the spacing between 
individual trees, to accommodate skiing and riding) between formal 
trails will not be groomed.
    The trail plan for the Atoma Pod includes approximately 23 acres of 
new trails. Approximately 49 acres of glades will be available between 
the defined trails. Specific portions of proposed trails have been 
identified for grading in order to improve the surface or gradients 
(totaling approximately 6.0 acres).
    The existing Atoma building and associated parking lot, will be 
removed and the area re-contoured to natural grades. In conjunction 
with the proposed Atoma Pod a raised, vegetated buffer between the Mt. 
Rose Highway and new skiing terrain will be created. Terrain in the 
Atoma Pod is proposed to be served by a new fixed-grip quad chairlift 
with a capacity of between 1,800 and 2,200 people-per-hour. The 3,500-
foot long lift will span the Mt. Rose Highway, with the bottom terminal 
located in a flat, open area at an elevation of approximately 7,970 
feet on NFS land. The top terminal will be located on private land 
owned by Mt. Rose at an elevation of 8,395 feet. Adequate road access 
to the top and bottom terminal sites currently exists.
    In order to connect the existing terrain network at Mt. Rose 
(private land) to the proposed Atoma Pod (NFS land), a skiway will be 
constructed. The skiway will begin at the top terminal of the Atoma 
chairlift and cross a proposed skier bridge over the Mt. Rose Highway, 
connecting to NFS land in the Atoma Pod. The skiway will be located on 
private land, and grading will be necessary to achieve/maintain 
appropriate grades for descending skiers and riders. The bridge will be 
constructed within the Nevada Department of Transportation highway 
right-of-way. This roughly 130-foot long skier bridge will provide 
access for skiers to enter the Atoma Pod and will be constructed to 
minimum of 25 feet wide to accommodate grooming.
    Proposed ski trails in the Atoma Pod have been planned around the 
natural topography preserving/avoiding known resources of importance 
(e.g., wetlands, cultural resources, and healthy, large and/or 
important trees) to the extent possible. Trails will be constructed to 
variable widths--ranging from 40 to 70 feet. Site-specific 
prescriptions for the construction of each proposed trail in the Atoma 
Pod will be analyzed in detail in the draft EIS. For safety and 
operational reasons, standing dead/diseased timber will be removed 
throughout the Atoma area.
    A new water impoundment is proposed adjacent to the skier's left 
edge of the upper Galena trail (near an existing potable water storage 
tank) at Mt. Rose. The site has relatively flat topography and is in 
close proximity to Mt. Rose's existing road network, snowmaking control 
building, and associated existing buried water lines. The impoundment 
will be located entirely on NFS land, as no comparably suitable 
location is available on private lands. The proposed water impoundment 
will store between 13 and 15 acre feet of water (approximately 4.2 and 
4.9 million gallons), with a surface area of approximately 1.6 acres 
and a disturbance area of roughly 3.5 acres. Because of the porosity of 
soils present at Mt. Rose, the impoundment will be fitted with a 
geosynthetic liner to prevent seepage. Approximately 50,000 cubic yards 
of material will be excavated from construction of the impoundment.
    New snowmaking coverage is proposed on five trails in the Atoma 
Pod. Water--originating from Mt. Rose's well on private land--will 
ultimately be stored in the proposed on-mountain impoundment. A water 
transmission line will be installed, across the Atoma skier bridge, and 
into the Atoma Pod. Except where wetlands have been identified, all 
snowmaking lines will be buried below the frost line, and related 
ground disturbance will be analyzed in the EIS.
    Under the proposed action, dispersed (``backcountry'') recreational 
access to NFS land within and adjacent to the Atoma Pod will continue 
to be allowed throughout the winter and summer. The EIS will consider 
and analyze how to accommodate dispersed recreational access to NFS 
land, with consideration given to operational and public safety needs 
within a developed ski area.
    The proposed action includes a non-significant Forest Plan 
amendment to prohibit future commercial development on lands acquired 
as a result of the 1994 Galena Resort Land Exchange. The non-
significant Forest Plan amendment is proposed to clarify management 
direction in the Carson Front Management Area 2, Mount Rose 
Unit. The Atoma area (approximately 112 acres), as well as the 168 
acres already included in the Mt. Rose Ski Tahoe SUP and designated as 
``The Chutes'', would be excluded from the Forest Plan amendment.
    Lead and Cooperating Agencies: The Forest Service is the lead 
federal agency for the NEPA analysis process and preparation of the 
EIS. The Nevada Department of Transportation has been identified as a 
cooperating agency for this project.
    Responsible Official: William A. Dunkelberger, Forest Supervisor, 
Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, NV 89431.
    Nature of Decision To Be Made: Based on the analysis that will be 
documented in the forthcoming EIS, the responsible official will decide 
whether to amend the current special use permit 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 EIS. 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 project.
    It is important that reviewers provide their comments at such times 
and in such a manner that they are useful to the agency's preparation 
of the EIS. 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.
    Additional information on the proposed action will be available at 
two public open houses which will be held from 4:00 to 6:00 p.m. on (1) 
June 18, 2013, at the Winters Creek Lodge, 21333 State Route 878, Reno, 
NV 89511 and (2) June 19, 2013, at the Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest 
Supervisors Office, 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, NV 89431.

    Dated: May 28, 2013.
William A. Dunkelberger,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2013-13010 Filed 5-31-13; 8:45 am]
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