Final Environmental Impact Statement
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PEAK 6 PROJECT FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT AUGUST 2012 USDA Forest Service White River National Forest Dillon Ranger District The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) prohibits discrimination in all its programs and activities on the basis of race, color, national origin, age, disability, and where applicable, sex, marital status, familial status, parental status, religion, sexual orientation, genetic information, political beliefs, reprisal, or because all or part of an individual's income is derived from any public assistance program. (Not all prohibited bases apply to all programs.) Persons with disabilities who require alternative means for communication of program information (Braille, large print, audiotape, etc.) should contact USDA's TARGET Center at (202) 720-2600 (voice and TDD). To file a complaint of discrimination, write USDA, Director, Office of Civil Rights, 1400 Independence Avenue, SW, Washington, DC 20250-9410 or call (800) 795-3272 or (202) 720-6382 (TDD). USDA is an equal opportunity provider and employer. ABSTRACT FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT FOR THE BRECKENRIDGE SKI RESORT PEAK 6 PROJECT WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST SUMMIT COUNTY, COLORADO AUGUST 2012 Lead Agency: USDA Forest Service Responsible Official: Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor White River National Forest For Information Contact: Joe Foreman, Project Leader/Winter Sports Administrator Dillon Ranger District PO Box 620 Silverthorne, CO 80498 970.262.3443 Abstract: This Final Environmental Impact Statement has been prepared to analyze and disclose the estimated environmental effects of implementation of the Breckenridge Ski Resort Peak 6 Project. Breckenridge Ski Resort is located on the White River National Forest in Summit County, CO and operates in accordance with the terms and conditions of a Special Use Permit, which is administered by the United States Forest Service. The proposed Peak 6 development encompasses approximately 550 acres of lift-served and hike-to skiing. The terrain would be accessed by a two lift configuration (a lower and an upper lift) and by traversing from the existing Imperial Express lift to the north. In addition, two facilities would be constructed to accommodate guests—a top terminal ski patrol/warming hut at the top of the upper Peak 6 lift and a restroom facility at the junction of the upper and lower Peak 6 lifts. The upper lift would allow skiers to round-trip the Peak 6 terrain without leaving the pod. With the development of the proposed Peak 6 lifts and associated terrain, the Comfortable Carrying Capacity at BSR would increase by 1,250 guests, from 14,920 to 16,170 guests. A Forest Plan Amendment is proposed to amend the 2002 Forest Plan Canada lynx Standard “ALL S1.” Components of the Proposed Action are detailed in Chapter 2: Alternative 2 – Proposed Action. This Final Environmental Impact Statement discusses the Purpose and Need for the Proposed Action; alternatives to the Proposed Action; potential direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts of implementing each alternative; and project design criteria. Three alternatives are analyzed in detail in the Final EIS: Alternative 1 (No Action); Alternative 2 (the Proposed Action); and Alternative 3. Appeals: The decision documented in the Record of Decision is subject to appeal pursuant to 36 CFR 215.11. Any appeal of this decision must be fully consistent with 36 CFR 215.14, “Content of Notice of Appeal,” and it must be received within 45 days of the date of publication of the legal notice in the Glenwood Post Independent. The written notice of Appeal must be sent to: Appeal Deciding Officer USDA Forest Service Region 2, Rocky Mountain Region 740 Simms Golden, CO 80401 Executive Summary Executive Summary EXECUTIVE SUMMARY The proposed improvements analyzed in this document constitute a federal action, which has the potential to affect the quality of the human environment on public lands administered by the United States Department of Agriculture Forest Service (Forest Service). Therefore, these projects must be analyzed pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act of 1969 (NEPA). Under NEPA, Federal Agencies must carefully consider environmental concerns in their decision making processes and provide relevant information to the public for review and comment. The Forest Service has prepared this Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) in compliance with NEPA and other relevant federal and state laws and regulations. This FEIS contains analyses consistent with NEPA, Council on Environmental Quality (CEQ) regulations, and Forest Service policy. It discloses potential direct, indirect, and cumulative environmental effects on the human and biological environment anticipated to result with implementation of the Proposed Action or an additional action alternative. Furthermore, it is intended to ensure that planning considers the environmental and social values of the project area and that potential resource conflicts are minimized or avoided. A. SUMMARY OF THE PURPOSE AND NEED FOR THE PROPOSED ACTION The proposed projects were specifically planned to better accommodate existing daily visitation levels, and maintain the desired skiing experience with comfortable terrain capacities. It is not anticipated that the proposal would elicit increases in peak day visitation. The full text of the Purpose and Need is stated in Chapter 1. The following seven statements summarize the Purpose and Need: Purpose #1: Better accommodate current daily visitation levels. Purpose #2: Reduce skier congestion on Breckenridge Ski Resort’s (BSR) existing Intermediate and Advanced-Intermediate terrain network and associated lifts. Purpose #3: Reduce waiting time for lifts at BSR. Purpose #4: Disperse Intermediate and Advanced-Intermediate skiers more efficiently across the entire skiable terrain network. Purpose #5: Provide additional lift-served terrain to accommodate the existing terrain distribution deficit. Purpose #6: Provide additional hike-to access servicing advanced ability levels. Purpose #7: Provide sufficient infrastructure in pods to serve guests. Breckenridge Ski Resort Peak 6 Project Final Environmental Impact Statement ES-1 Executive Summary B. SUMMARY OF THE ALTERNATIVES ANALYZED IN THE FEIS In addition to the No Action Alternative (analyzed in this document as Alternative 1), two action alternatives are analyzed. ALTERNATIVE 1 – NO ACTION By definition, the No Action Alternative represents a continuation of existing management practices without changes, additions, or upgrades to existing conditions. ALTERNATIVE 2 – PROPOSED ACTION The Proposed Action includes traditional downhill and hike-to skiing on Peak 6 accessed by a two lift configuration (a lower and an upper lift), as well as two service facilities to accommodate guests. Terrain Approximately 550 acres of proposed traditional downhill and hike-to skiing. Seven below-treeline trails, totaling approximately 68 acres (the only terrain type that will require tree clearing and grading). 339 acres of above-treeline terrain, 235 of which would be lift-served by the new Peak 6 lifts, and 104 acres of which will be accessed by the existing Imperial Express SuperChair. Of the lift-served terrain, 182 acres (45 percent) are Intermediate, 62 acres (15 percent) are Advanced-Intermediate, and 163 acres (40 percent) are Expert. 143 acres of hike-to, Expert only terrain; the hike from the top terminal of the upper Peak 6 lift to the Peak 6 summit would take approximately 15 minutes. Lifts A two lift configuration is analyzed in this FEIS to service the proposed Peak 6 terrain. The upper Peak 6 lift would be installed as a detachable, six-person chairlift. The lift would have a slope length of approximately 6,000 feet, a vertical rise of approximately 1,550 feet, and a design capacity of 3,000 people per hour (pph). The lower Peak 6 lift would be installed as a fixed-grip, four-person chairlift. The lift would have a slope length of approximately 2,600 feet, a vertical rise of approximately 350 feet, and a design capacity of 2,000 people per hour (pph). Guest Services To accommodate guests using the Peak 6 lifts and terrain, restroom facility would be located at the junction of the Peak 6 lifts. Breckenridge Ski Resort Peak 6 Project Final Environmental Impact Statement ES-2 Executive Summary The restroom facility would be approximately 1,200 square feet in size and would include composting toilets. A ski patrol/warming hut would be constructed at the top terminal of the upper Peak 6 lift, approximately 500 square feet in size. Comfortable Carrying Capacity The Proposed Action would better accommodate current daily visitation levels without increasing peak day visitation. The Proposed Action would increase BSR’s CCC by 1,250 guests, increasing BSR’s CCC from 14,920 to 16,170 guests (25 percent of the “Core Season” at BSR exceeds 16,000 daily skier visits). Non-Significant Forest Plan Amendment of Standard ALL S1 A non-significant Forest Plan amendment would remove the applicability of Canada lynx Standard ALL S1 to this project decision.* ALTERNATIVE 3 Alternative 3 includes trail and lift development within BSR’s currently developed lift and terrain network, as well as a proposed skiing pod immediately north of Peak 7. Terrain Approximately 326 acres of newly accessible terrain on Peaks 6½, 7, 8, 9, and 10. Approximately 280 acres of lift-served terrain, within the existing developed trail network, of which 48 acres (17 percent) are Low-Intermediate, 69 acres (25 percent) are Intermediate, 13 acres (5 percent) are Advanced-Intermediate, and 150 (54 percent) are Expert. 150 acres would be above-treeline, served by the Imperial Express SuperChair. An additional 46 acres of hike-to terrain would be accessible on Peak 6½. Lifts Three chairlifts would be upgraded within the existing lift and terrain network—Colorado SuperChair, C-Chair and A-Chair. The proposed Peak 6½ area would be serviced by a high-speed detachable, four- (or six-) person chairlift with a design capacity of 2,400 pph and a length of 3,950 feet. * Standard ALL S1 is contained in the Southern Rockies Lynx Management Direction Record of Decision, which amended the 2002 Forest Plan for lynx direction.