Department of Agriculture November 30, 2005 – Federal Register Recent Federal Regulation Documents

In accordance with the Paperwork Reduction Act of 1995, the Food and Nutrition Service (FNS) is publishing for public comment notice of a proposed information collection. The proposed collection is an extension of a collection currently approved for the National School Lunch Program, the School Breakfast Program, the Commodity Schools Program, and the Special Milk Program.

The USDA Forest Service will prepare an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to disclose the anticipated environmental effects of the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area and Montezuma Bowl Projects. The Proposed Action would upgrade and expand infrastructure within the existing Special Use Permit (SUP) area to accommodate parking demands and improve skiing opportunities for existing and proposed visitation, thereby enhancing the quality of the recreation experience. The major aspects of the Proposed Action include: Install a new fixed-grip triple of quad chairlift in Montezuma Bowl. Adding lift-served skiing within Montezuma Bowl would increase A-Basin's existing overall skiable acreage for approximately 487 to 812 acres. The Montezuma Bowl area would add approximately 175 acres of intermediate terrain and 149 acres of advanced and expert terrain, all accessible for round-trip skiing via one proposed chairlift. Install snowfencing west of the proposed lift terminal, below (south) of the ridgeline, to aid in snow retention. Install a raised ``avalauncher'' platform to allow A-Basin ski patrol to safely conduct snow safety operations in Montezuma Bowl. Replace the existing Exhibition lift (fixed-grip triple) with a high speed detachable quad chair accommodating 2,60 people per hour in a slightly modified alignment. Create an additional 231 parking spaces by widening and re-grading the Lower Overflow Lot and the High Noon Lot, bringing total parking capacity at A-Basin's five lots to 1,781 vehicles. In conjunction with the re-grading of the High Noon lot, a series of sediment detention basins are proposed along the west edge of the parking area, parallel with Highway 6.