Environmental Assessment Albion Basin Winter Travel Management Plan Amendment
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United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service April 2007 Environmental Assessment Albion Basin Winter Travel Management Plan Amendment Salt Lake Ranger District, Wasatch-Cache National Forest Salt Lake County, UT For Information Contact: Steve Scheid 6944 S 3000 E, Salt Lake City, UT 84121 801-733-2689 [email protected] Environmental Assessment Albion Basin Winter Travel Management Plan Amendment TABLE OF CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 - PURPOSE AND NEED......................................................................................... 3 1.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................... 3 1.2 Background and History ........................................................................................................... 3 1.2.1 Roads and Public Land Status............................................................................................ 4 1.2.2 Private Property Development and Access........................................................................ 5 1.2.3 Ski Area Development....................................................................................................... 7 1.2.4 OSV/Skier Collisions......................................................................................................... 8 1.3 Proposed Action........................................................................................................................ 9 1.4 Purpose and Need ..................................................................................................................... 9 1.5 Management Direction............................................................................................................ 10 1.5.1 Forest Plan Direction ....................................................................................................... 10 1.5.2 Forest Service Travel Management Plans........................................................................ 11 1.5.3 Town of Alta Plan and Ordinances.................................................................................. 12 1.5.4 Salt Lake City Watershed Management Plan and Watershed Ordinances ...................... 12 1.6 Decision To Be Made ............................................................................................................. 12 1.7 Scoping and Public Involvement ............................................................................................ 12 1.7.1 Issues................................................................................................................................ 13 1.7.2 Issues Eliminated From Further Study ............................................................................ 14 1.7.3 Issues Considered In Detail ............................................................................................. 14 CHAPTER 2 - DESCRIPTION OF ALTERNATIVES............................................................... 15 2.1 Introduction/Alternative Formulation Process........................................................................ 15 2.2 Alternatives Considered and Eliminated from Detailed Study............................................... 15 2.3 Description of Alternatives Analyzed in Detail...................................................................... 15 2.3.1 Alternative A (No Action) ............................................................................................... 16 2.3.2 Alternative B (Proposed Action) ..................................................................................... 16 2.3.3 Alternative C.................................................................................................................... 16 2.3.4 Alternative D.................................................................................................................... 17 Table 1 - Homeowner/Resident OSV Access By Alternative ...................................................... 17 2.4 Mitigation Measures ............................................................................................................... 18 2.5 Alternative Summary and Impact Comparison....................................................................... 18 Table 2 - Summary Of Alternatives And Effects.......................................................................... 19 Figure 1 – Existing Resident OSV Routes.................................................................................... 20 1 Environmental Assessment Albion Basin Winter Travel Management Plan Amendment Figure 2 – Alternatives B and D Map........................................................................................... 21 Figure 3 – Alternative C - Option 1 Map...................................................................................... 22 Figure 4 – Alternative C - Option 2 Map...................................................................................... 23 Chapter 3 - Affected Environment and Environmental Consequences ........................................ 25 3.1 Introduction............................................................................................................................. 25 3.2 Resident Access ...................................................................................................................... 25 3.2.1 Affected Environment...................................................................................................... 25 3.2.2 Environmental Consequences.......................................................................................... 26 3.3 Skier Safety............................................................................................................................. 28 3.3.1 Affected Environment...................................................................................................... 28 TABLE 3 - SKIER/OSV INTERFACE AREAS AND CROSSINGS......................................... 29 3.3.2 Environmental Consequences.......................................................................................... 30 3.4 Resident Safety ....................................................................................................................... 31 3.4.1 Affected Environment...................................................................................................... 31 3.4.2 Environmental Consequences.......................................................................................... 32 3.5 Physical and Biological Resources ......................................................................................... 33 3.5.1 Affected Environment...................................................................................................... 33 3.5.2 Environmental Consequences.......................................................................................... 34 3.6 Compliance with Other Laws and Regulations ...................................................................... 34 CHAPTER 4 - CONSULTATION AND COORDINATION...................................................... 36 4.1 List of Preparers...................................................................................................................... 36 References..................................................................................................................................... 36 Glossary ........................................................................................................................................ 38 APPENDIX A: SCOPING AND PRELIMINARY EA ............................................................... 39 COMMENTS AND RESPONSES............................................................................................... 39 2 Environmental Assessment Albion Basin Winter Travel Management Plan Amendment Chapter 1 - Purpose and Need 1.1 Introduction This Environmental Assessment (EA) documents the analysis of a proposal by the U.S. Forest Service to amend the 2005 Winter Recreation Travel Management Plan (Travel Management Plan) for the Salt Lake Ranger District of the Wasatch-Cache National Forest (WCNF) for an area in upper Little Cottonwood Canyon. Currently, private homeowners and family members, tenants, and guests (hereafter collectively referred to as residents*) use over-snow vehicles (OSVs), primarily snowcats and snowmobiles, to access 36 homes in Grizzly Gulch and upper Albion Basin. This use is inconsistent with Forest Service regulations and the Travel Management Plan that closes the area to winter motorized use (Forest Service 2005). This private property is located within the boundaries of Alta Ski Area’s special use permit with the Forest Service and is within the Town of Alta's (Town) incorporated boundaries. In using OSVs to reach their homes, residents cross a number of busy downhill ski trails. The routes of travel used by residents are generally depicted in Figure 1. Unrestricted motorized travel creates a safety issue for the skiing public, primarily the hazard of collisions with OSVs and skier falls and injuries because of unexpected encounters with OSV ruts or rough snow. At the same time, homeowners are entitled to conditional access across National Forest System (NFS) lands to reach their property. The proposal examined in this EA would amend the Travel Management Plan to allow private homeowners and residents motorized access across NFS lands under certain terms and conditions, in order to address skier safety issues. The analysis has been