Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; Clark Counties, Nevada; Lee Canyon Notice of Availability, 41045-41046 [2018-17730]

Agencies

• DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
• Forest Service

[Federal Register Volume 83, Number 160 (Friday, August 17, 2018)]
[Notices]
[Pages 41045-41046]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2018-17730]


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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE

Forest Service


Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest; Clark Counties, Nevada; Lee 
Canyon Notice of Availability

AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.

ACTION: Notice of Availability of the Draft Environmental Impact 
Statement for the Lee Canyon Ski Area Master Development Plan Phase I 
and Public Comment Period for the Associated Forest Plan Amendment.

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SUMMARY: The Humboldt-Toiyabe National Forest is issuing this notice to 
advise the public of the 45-day public comment period for the Draft 
Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for the Lee Canyon Ski Area Master 
Development Plan Phase I (Lee Canyon Project) and the addition of a 
proposed project-specific amendment to the Toiyabe National Forest Land 
and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan) for the Proposed Action and 
alternatives other than the No Action alternative. The Notice of Intent 
for the Lee Canyon Project was published in the Federal Register on 
March 23, 2017 (82 FR 14865). Today's notice has been published to 
ensure all persons and entities interested in the Lee Canyon Project 
are aware of the addition of the proposed amendment and to identify the 
Forest Service planning rule provisions likely to be directly related 
and, therefore, applicable to the Forest Plan amendment. The public is 
advised that during the 45 day comment period for the Lee Canyon 
Project Draft EIS, comments may also be submitted regarding the 
substantive requirements that are likely to be directly related to the 
amendment and the scope and scale to which the substantive requirements 
would apply. Comments will be considered in the preparation of the 
Final EIS and Draft Record of Decision for the Lee Canyon Project.

DATES: The comment period ends 45 days after today's Notice of 
Availability or 45 days after the Environmental Protection Agency's 
Notice of Availability is published in the Federal Register, whichever 
is later. All relevant comments received during the public comment 
period related to the substantive requirements that would likely be 
directly related to the proposed Forest Plan amendment and the scope 
and scale of the proposed Forest Plan amendment will be considered in 
the preparation of the Final EIS and Draft Record of Decision (ROD).

ADDRESSES: Comments may be submitted by any one of the following 
methods:
     Electronic Submissions: Comments can be filed 
electronically at: [email protected]. Electronic comments must be 
submitted as part of the email message or as an attachment in plain 
text (.txt), Microsoft Word (.doc), rich text format (.rtf), or 
portable document format (.pdf). Emails submitted to addresses other 
than the one listed above, or in formats other than those listed or 
containing viruses, will be rejected.
     Mail: Written, specific comments must be submitted to Donn 
Christiansen, Area Manager, Spring Mountains National Recreation Area, 
701 Torrey Pines Dr., Las Vegas, NV 89130.
    Instructions: Comments sent by any other method, to any other 
address or individual, or received after the end of the comment period 
may not be considered by the Forest. All comments received are part of 
the public record and will generally be posted for public viewing 
without change. All personal identifying information (e.g., name, 
address, etc.), confidential business information, or otherwise 
sensitive information submitted voluntarily by the sender will be 
publicly accessible.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Chris Linehan, Interdisciplinary Team 
Leader, at (702) 515-5401, or via email at [email protected]. 
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. 
Information about the Lee Canyon Project may be found on the Forest 
Service website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=50649.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The purpose and need for the proposed Lee 
Canyon Project, as described in the Notice of Intent, is to address the 
length of time since the resort's facilities have been upgraded and 
emerging trends in winter recreation. Specific details of these needs 
are described in Draft EIS. The purpose and need for the proposed plan 
amendment is to ensure consistency between the Forest Plan and the 
proposed Lee Canyon Project. As described in the Draft EIS, the need 
was identified for exempting the Lee Canyon Project from the following 
Standards of the 1996 Spring Mountains National Recreation Area (SMNRA) 
General

[[Page 41046]]

Management Plan (GMP) (Amendment five of the Forest Plan):
    SMNRA-wide Standards and Guidelines: (GMP Standard 0.31) New roads, 
administrative facilities, and developed recreation sites other than 
low-impact facilities (trails, trailhead parking, signs, restrooms, 
etc.) will be outside a 100-yard buffer zone around known Clokey's 
eggvetch and rough angelica populations or potential habitat, and 
outside biodiversity hotspots (defined as areas of particular diversity 
or sensitivity).
    The need for this Forest Plan amendment is that in the Lee Canyon 
Proposed Action new service roads, and ski area facilities would occur 
within the 100-yard buffer zone established around known Clokey's 
eggvetch and rough angelica populations or potential habitat. These 
areas have been thoroughly inventoried for these species and none were 
found within the project foot print. This project-specific Forest Plan 
amendment will allow development within the 100-yard buffer zones for 
these two-species established in the Standard GMP 0.31 (p. 18) to allow 
for construction of service roads and ski area facilities.
    Under the Proposed Action and other action alternatives, Standard 
GMP 0.31 would be amended to allow new service roads and developed 
recreation sites to be placed within the 100-yard buffer zone around 
known Clokey's eggvetch and rough angelica populations or potential 
habitat, and within biodiversity hotspots in the Lee Canyon Special Use 
Permit Boundary.
    Management Area 11: (11.57) Allow limited expansion of ski area in 
Lee Canyon and enhancement of skiing opportunities and facilities 
within the scope of an approved master development plan and under the 
following constraints:
    1. Expansion occurs within the existing sub-basin.
    2. Does not impact any threatened, endangered, or sensitive species 
or species of concern or its habitat.
    3. Expansion is commensurate with development of additional parking 
in the lower Lee Canyon area and shuttle services.
    4. Expansion incorporates defensible space design and fire safe 
facilities.
    5. Where consistent with other standards and guidelines.
    The need for this Forest Plan amendment is that the Proposed Action 
and other action alternatives include development of ski runs, mountain 
coasters, zip lines, mountain bike trails, parking areas, and access 
roads within the Lee Canyon Ski Area permitted boundary. As the Mount 
Charleston Blue Butterfly was listed as a endangered species in 2015 
and the designated critical habitat for the butterfly includes portions 
of the Lee Canyon Ski Area, Constraint #2 from the standard cannot be 
met. The Proposed Action and other action alternatives also include the 
addition of a 500 vehicle parking lot at the ski area to accommodate 
increased visitor use without the development of additional parking in 
lower Lee Canyon or shuttle services. The project-specifc Forest Plan 
Amendment would exempt the project from the requirements under 
Constraint #2 and Constraint #3.
    The substantive requirements of the 2012 Planning Rule (36 CFR part 
219) likely to be directly related and, therefore, applicable to the 
Forest Plan amendment for the Lee Canyon Project are in 36 CFR 219.9(b) 
regarding threatened and endangered species and 36 CFR 219.10(a)(1), 
(3), and (7) regarding integrated resource management for multiple use. 
The scope and scale to which these substantive requirements would apply 
are the scope and scale of the Lee Canyon Project. The amendment would 
not apply to any other projects or activities.

Responsible Official

    The Responsible Official for the Lee Canyon Project and the Forest 
Plan amendment 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

    In consideration of the stated purpose and need and the analysis of 
environmental effects documented in this EIS, the Responsible Official 
will review the proposed action and alternatives in order to make the 
following decisions:
     Whether to authorize the proposed action or an 
alternative, including the required no-action alternative, all or in 
part;
     What design criteria and mitigation measures to require as 
a condition of the authorization;
     What evaluation methods and documentation to require for 
monitoring project implementation and mitigation effectiveness; and
     Whether to amend the Forest Plan to exempt the project 
from Standard GMP 0.31 and from Constraints #2 and #3 of Standard GMP 
Management Area 11.57.

Administrative Review

    The Lee Canyon Project and the Forest Plan amendment will be 
subject to objection under 36 CFR part 218.

    Dated: May 7, 2018.
Chris French,
Associate Deputy Chief, National Forest System.
[FR Doc. 2018-17730 Filed 8-16-18; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 3411-15-P