Lee Canyon Ski Area Master Development Plan Phase I Environmental Impact Statement. Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, Clark County, Nevada, 14865-14868 [2017-05754]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 82, Number 55 (Thursday, March 23, 2017)]
[Notices]
[Pages 14865-14868]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2017-05754]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Lee Canyon Ski Area Master Development Plan Phase I Environmental 
Impact Statement. Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest, Spring Mountains 
National Recreation Area, Clark County, Nevada

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement.

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SUMMARY: The USDA Forest Service has received a proposal from Lee 
Canyon ski area to implement the first phase of their accepted master 
development plan (MDP). Lee Canyon is a mountain resort located 30 
miles northwest of Las Vegas, Nevada, in the Spring Mountains National 
Recreation Area (SMNRA). The MDP is a multi-year plan for improvement 
and expansion of facilities at the ski area, which operates under a 
Forest Service special use permit. The Forest Service will prepare an 
environmental impact statement (EIS) to analyze and disclose the 
potential environmental consequences of authorizing Lee Canyon to 
implement the first phase of the MDP, which would include updating 
existing facilities and developing new winter and summer recreation 
opportunities within the existing ski area permit boundary. 
Construction would begin soon after the signing of the record of 
decision (ROD), and would be completed within 5 years.

DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received 
in writing within 45 days following the publication of this notice of 
intent in the Federal Register. The draft EIS (DEIS) is expected in 
January 2018 and the final EIS (FEIS) is expected in October 2018. A 
public open house is proposed for January 2018 during the formal 
comment period for the DEIS shortly following release of the DEIS.

ADDRESSES: Electronic comments are encouraged. Send comments to 
leecanyoneis@fs.fed.us. Mail written comments to Donn Christiansen, 
Area Manager, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, 701 N. Torrey 
Pines Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89130.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: For additional information concerning 
this project, please contact Chris Linehan, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, at 702-515-5401 or clinehan@fs.fed.us.

[[Page 14866]]

Information about this EIS will be posted on the internet at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50649.
    This Web site will be used to post all public documents during the 
environmental review process and announce opportunities for public 
participation and comment.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: This notice of intent initiates the scoping 
process, which guides the development of the EIS. The Forest Service 
will be seeking information, comments, and assistance from federal, 
state, and local agencies, American Indian Tribes, as well as other 
individuals and organizations that may be interested in or affected by 
the proposed project. Comments on the proposed project should be in 
writing and should be specific to the proposed action, describing as 
clearly and completely as possible any issues or concerns the commenter 
has with the proposal. Comments received, including the names and 
addresses of those who comment, will become part of the public record 
for this EIS and will be available on request for public inspection 
(see 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook 1909.15, 
Section 21).
    Purpose and Need for Action: Two factors underlie the purpose and 
need for action at Lee Canyon: The length of time since the resort's 
facilities have been upgraded and emerging trends in winter recreation.
    In 1962, the Forest Service issued the first special use permit for 
Lee Canyon ski area to the Clark County Board of Commissioners, 
establishing one the older ski areas in the West with two rope tows, a 
cable ski sled, and a warming hut operated by the Las Vegas Ski Club. 
Over the next 20 years, ownership changed and the existing Chair 1 
(Sherwood) lift and lifts in the approximate locations of Chairs 2 and 
3 (Bluebird and Rabbit Peak) were constructed. The existing base area 
structures were also built and expanded during this time period. Powdr 
Corp. acquired an ownership interest in Lee Canyon in 2004. Since that 
time Chairs 2 and 3 were replaced and the snowmaking reservoir was 
built, but the overall character of the resort remains dated.
    In May of 2011, Lee Canyon submitted a MDP to the Forest Service 
with the goals of modernizing the ski area and developing underutilized 
portions of the permit area. The Forest Service accepted the MDP in 
June of 2011.
    Extensive customer surveys conducted by Lee Canyon and other 
resorts indicate that visitors are increasingly seeking a more diverse 
range of recreational activities, particularly for families, that 
includes year-round opportunities and more adventurous options. The 
Forest Service response to this trend includes our 2012 introduction of 
the Framework for Sustainable Recreation, which sets goals for 
providing a diverse array of recreational opportunities aimed at 
connecting people with the outdoors and promoting healthy lifestyles, 
in partnership with other public and private recreation providers.
    Also, passage of the Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement 
Act of 2011 provides direction on the types of summer activities the 
Forest Service should consider authorizing to round out the range of 
opportunities provided to the public at permitted mountain resorts. 
Reflecting these developments, the purpose and need for the proposed 
action is to:
     Update and renovate ski area infrastructure, particularly 
run-down base facilities, to meet current standards and the 
expectations of today's recreation market.
     Improve balance on several levels: Between lift and run 
capacity, between on-mountain and base-area capacity, and between 
overall ski area capacity and growing recreational demand from Las 
Vegas and the surrounding area.
     Develop year-round recreational opportunities to meet 
increasing demand by recreationists of various types and skill levels.
    Proposed Action: The Forest proposes to authorize Lee Canyon to 
implement the first phase of the ski area's accepted MDP. The 
development of the first phase of the MDP is the result of a 
collaborative, multi-year process involving input from Lee Canyon ski 
area, the Forest Service, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. All 
elements of the proposed action fall within the permitted boundaries of 
the Lee Canyon ski area. If authorized, it is anticipated that the 
elements described below would be implemented within 5 years of 
authorization. The first phase of the MDP includes:
    Lift 4: Lift 4 would be designed for first-time skiers, providing 
them the opportunity to get a feel for being on skis or boards, riding 
a lift, and sliding on a very mild grade--a ``bunny hill.'' It would be 
a moving carpet lift about 450 feet long, with a vertical rise of 80 
feet, running the length of the beginner slope, along the skier's left 
edge. It would be installed on a raised berm on ties or concrete 
blocks.
    Chair 5: The Chair 5 pod (i.e., lift and associated ski runs) would 
be the next step up from the bunny hill, providing beginners and low 
intermediate skiers the opportunity to transition to a chairlift and 
ski a variety of longer ``green'' runs. Chair 5 would be a 1,800 
person-per-hour (pph) fixed-grip quad chairlift with a loading 
conveyor. The lift would be 1,275 feet long, with a vertical rise of 
310 feet.
    New ski runs in this pod would incorporate design features to make 
them less visually striking, including feathered edges, tree islands, 
and strategic placement to make them less visible from sensitive 
viewpoints. Traverses would be cut to provide access to the lower 
terminal and to the lower terminals of Chairs 1 and 2 as well as the 
base area.
    Chair 8: Similar to existing Chair 2, Chair 8 would be a step up in 
difficulty from Chair 5, accessing mostly intermediate runs with some 
easier and some more difficult terrain within that category. It would 
be a fixed-grip quad chairlift with a capacity of 1,800 pph, 2,200 feet 
long, with a vertical rise of 650 feet.
    Skiers would use Chair 2 to access the Chair 8 pod. The conceptual 
ski runs in this pod were adjusted to minimize visual impact, as 
discussed above for Chair 5.
    Tree and Glade Skiing: Three areas with the potential for tree 
skiing have been identified. The first, a parcel of about 5.5 acres, is 
a tree island between Keno and Blackjack runs, in the Chair 1 pod. The 
second, about 16 acres, lies above the snow-making reservoir, accessed 
from Chairs 1 and 2. The third, about 12 acres, is in the lower portion 
of the Chair 8 pod, with access from that lift.
    The intent of these glading projects is to open up areas that are 
currently too densely forested for most skiers to navigate comfortably. 
Smaller trees, infirm or damaged trees, and white fir trees would be 
the priorities for removal. Work would be done by hand or, in some 
areas, using equipment such as feller-bunchers.
    Snowmaking Coverage: Expanding the snowmaking system would provide 
the option to use available water to make snow where it was most 
needed. This proposal entails expanding coverage to several existing 
runs in the Chair 1 and Chair 2 pods initially, then to all primary 
runs in the Chair 5 pod and two main runs in Chair 8 pod when those 
pods are developed. The amount of water available is a factor 
determining the pace of snowmaking expansion, and the 2010 expansion of 
the snowmaking pond created new options.
    The infrastructure necessary to complete this system expansion

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includes buried water and electric lines, surface hydrants to connect 
snowmaking guns, and an additional pump house (roughly 600 square feet) 
when snowmaking in the Chair 8 pod is developed.
    Mountain Coaster: Mountain coasters are a relatively new type of 
recreation at mountain resorts, used primarily during the summer but 
popular during winter as well where conditions allow. Gravity-powered 
cars holding individual riders or pairs travel on a dual-rail track. 
They start at a loading/unloading terminal at the bottom, are pulled up 
to the top of the circuit on a straight uphill segment, and then are 
released onto a downhill segment with turns, climbs, and dips. The 
track averages 4 to 6 feet above ground level but peaks can be up to 20 
feet high. The coasters are quiet. They are not an amusement park-style 
development but a recreational amenity developed specifically to 
provide an exhilarating experience in the mountain environment, and 
that environment is central to their concept and popularity.
    This mountain coaster would be installed west of the base area. The 
top of the circuit would be near the summit of the 9,270-foot peak 
above the Bristlecone Trail, and the downhill track would run down the 
slope to the southeast. The loading/unloading terminal would be in the 
mid-mountain area. The mountain coaster would pass over trails and 
sensitive habitat with bridge spans so collisions with trail users or 
impacts to sensitive plant and animal habitats could be avoided.
    Mountain Bike Trails: Mountain biking has increased steadily in 
popularity for a number of years, and it was one of the first summer 
activities authorized at ski areas on National Forest System land. 
While mountain biking is allowed on the SMNRA's Bristlecone Trail, 
including the portion passing through the ski area, the Lee Canyon ski 
area has offered no dedicated mountain bike facilities to date. This 
proposal includes construction of a 13-mile system including cross-
country-type trails of various difficulty levels and one expert-level 
downhill-type trail.
    All trails, with the exception of the dual-use trail described in 
the next section, would be restricted to downhill traffic. Cross-
country trails are intended to be ridden on a cross-country, or XC-
style, mountain bike. Downhill trails are intended to be ridden on a 
downhill style mountain bike. In terms of construction, the downhill 
trail would be wider and would include technical features (i.e., jumps, 
bridges, seesaws, etc.) built of earth, rock, or wood. Average width of 
cross-country trails would be 2 feet, while the downhill trail would 
average 4 feet.
    Uphill access for lift-served mountain biking would be via Chair 2. 
There would be 4 miles of easier trails, 6.25 miles of intermediate 
trails, 1.75 miles of advanced trails, and 1 mile of expert/downhill 
trail.
    Hiking Trails: Hiking would be allowed on one of the mountain bike 
trails descending from the upper terminal of Chair 2 to the mid-
mountain base area. Lift rides are popular with summer visitors, who 
subsequently make their own way down the mountain, often through 
sensitive habitat. This trail, coupled with interpretive signage 
identifying habitat areas and explaining the importance of staying on 
the trail, would reduce potential damage. The hiking/biking trail would 
be one of the easier-rated trails, and would be constructed with three 
times the width (6 feet wide) of other cross-country trails, thereby 
reducing collision hazards.
    Zip Line: A zip line is a pulley and brake system on an inclined 
cable which allows the rider, suspended from the pulley in a harness, 
to traverse the length of the cable at a controllable speed. Zip lines 
provide an opportunity to experience the forest canopy while having an 
exciting ride at the same time. The proposed zip line would descend 
from a launch station in the upper portion of Chair 2 pod to a final 
landing station toward the bottom of the new Chair 5 pod. The entire 
experience would involve two segments of zip line with an interpretive 
trail between segments. This trail would be 200 to 300 feet long and 
would include signage featuring native flora and fauna. A similar 
interpretive trail would be constructed to bring riders from the 
landing back to the base area.
    Installation would require a 30-foot corridor clear of trees, but 
much of the alignment would lie above treetop height, in natural 
openings, or along cleared ski trails. Only launch and landing towers 
would be required, as the cable between them would be a free, 
unsupported span. The four steel launch and landing towers would be up 
to 25 feet high, and the cable height would range up to 150 feet above 
the ground, depending on the ground contour.
    Equipment Rental/Food & Beverage Building: This building would 
provide approximately 20,000 square-feet of floor space, split between 
two or possibly three levels. Specific functions would include ski and 
snowboard rental, food and beverage service, group/banquet space, 
restrooms, and storage. It would be designed and constructed to reflect 
a consistent architectural theme for the resort.
    Skier Services Building: This building would provide approximately 
4,000 square-feet of floor space on a lower level for restrooms and 
dining space. A second level would provide approximately 1,000 square 
feet of food and beverage space with outdoor deck seating on the 
remainder of the space. Due to the pressing need for the services it 
would provide, this building may be withdrawn from the Proposed Action 
and processed separately in the near future, but at this stage it 
remains part of the Proposed Action.
    First Aid/Ski Patrol Building: This permanent structure would house 
key public safety and administrative functions at the lower base area. 
These would include ski patrol headquarters, first aid services, 
employee offices, and meeting space. It would comprise about 10,000 
square feet on two levels. Power and water would be brought in from the 
existing maintenance building, and sewer lines would be installed in an 
existing utility corridor along Lift 4.
    Vault Toilet Facility at Overflow Parking Lot: The overflow lot is 
roughly a 15-minute walk from the nearest restroom facilities. The 
addition of toilet facilities at the parking lot is necessary to 
improve the experience of both winter and summer visitors. The facility 
has been sited to avoid impacts on sensitive habitat adjacent to the 
parking area. It would be a simple, pre-cast structure, with men's and 
women's sides, installed on a 12-foot-by-20-foot pad.
    New Parking Lot: Parking capacity at Lee Canyon ski area is not 
sufficient for projected peak-day conditions. This proposal addresses 
the shortfall primarily through development of a new parking lot below 
the beginner area. The 3.6-acre paved lot would accommodate about 500 
cars, or 1,250 visitors at the industry standard of 2.5 per car. In 
combination with existing lots, this would accommodate the 3,000-person 
comfortable carrying capacity of the resort following this expansion.
    A new, two-way access road, about 1,500 feet long with a 20-foot-
wide, paved surface, would be developed from the existing overflow lot 
to the new lot. It would run along the western edge of the parking lot, 
with entries to the lot near the northwest corner and the southwest 
corner.
    Gate House: A small (roughly 6 feet by 10 feet) gate house would be 
constructed between the in- and outbound lanes of the Lee Canyon ski 
area access road, at the site of the existing gate below the entrance 
to the overflow parking lot. The purpose of

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this structure would be to control parking access and collect parking 
fees.
    Water Tank: The ski area's current culinary water storage tank is 
insufficient in capacity and in need of replacement. A new 120,000-
gallon steel, above-ground tank would be installed west of the 
snowmaking reservoir, in a grove of trees on the skier's left side of 
Snake ski run. This site is accessible, adjacent to in-place piping, 
and partially screened by vegetation. The existing concrete tank would 
be abandoned in place, as it is buried beneath occupied sensitive 
habitat on the Bimbo run.
    Lead and Cooperating Agencies: The Forest Service will be the lead 
federal agency in accordance with 40 Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) 
1501.5(b) and is responsible for the preparation of the EIS. Scoping 
will determine if any cooperating agencies are needed.
    Responsible Official: The Forest Service responsible official for 
this EIS is William A. Dunkelberger, Forest Supervisor, Humboldt-
Toiyabe National Forest Supervisor's Office, 1200 Franklin Way, Sparks, 
Nevada 89431, phone (775) 355-5310.
    Decision to Be Made: The responsible official will decide whether 
to authorize Lee Canyon to implement the action as proposed or 
modified, or to take no action. The responsible official will also 
decide what mitigation measures and monitoring will be required. A 
Forest Plan amendment may be required for one or more actions to be 
authorized (SMNRA GMP, Management Area 11.57 Standards and Guidelines, 
p. 11-35).
    Preliminary Issues: Preliminary issues include potential effects 
on: watershed resources, special-status plant and animal species, 
heritage resources, and scenic integrity.
    Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent 
Environmental Review: A DEIS will be prepared for comment. The comment 
period on the DEIS will be 45 days from the date the Environmental 
Protection Agency publishes the Notice of Availability in the Federal 
Register.
    To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues 
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the DEIS should be as 
specific as possible. It is also helpful if comments refer to specific 
pages or sections of the DEIS. Comments may also address the adequacy 
of the DEIS or the merits of the alternatives formulated and discussed 
in the DEIS. 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.

    Dated: March 13, 2017.
William A. Dunkelberger,
Forest Supervisor.
[FR Doc. 2017-05754 Filed 3-22-17; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P