Snow King Mountain Resort On-Mountain Improvements
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Snow King Mountain Resort On-Mountain Improvements Projects EIS Cultural Resource NHPA Section 106 Summary and Agency Determination of Eligibility and Effect for the Historic Snow King Ski Area (48TE1944) Bridger-Teton National Forest November 6, 2019 John P. Schubert, Heritage Program Manager With contributions and edits by Richa Wilson, Architectural Historian 0 TABLE OF CONTENTS ABSTRACT ...................................................................................................................................................... 4 UNDERTAKING/PROJECT DESCRIPTION ........................................................................................................ 4 BACKGROUND RESEARCH ............................................................................................................................. 7 ELIGIBILITY/SITE UPDATE .............................................................................................................................. 8 Statement of Significance ......................................................................................................................... 8 Period of Significance .............................................................................................................................. 10 Level of Significance ................................................................................................................................ 10 Historic District Boundary ....................................................................................................................... 12 Integrity of the District ............................................................................................................................ 13 Changes in Evaluation of Individual Resources ....................................................................................... 14 CHARACTER-DEFINING FEATURES .............................................................................................................. 16 District Level Character Defining Features ............................................................................................. 16 Character Defining Features as Organizational Elements of the Landscape .......................................... 17 Elk and Grizzly Runs ............................................................................................................................ 19 Open Lower Area ................................................................................................................................ 20 Exhibition Run ..................................................................................................................................... 21 Secondary Character Defining Features ............................................................................................. 23 EVALUATION OF POTENTIAL EFFECTS ........................................................................................................ 23 Actions both within and outside of the Historic District Boundary ........................................................ 25 Actions within the Historic District Boundary ......................................................................................... 25 South Area Boundary Expansion ............................................................................................................. 28 East Area Boundary Expansion ............................................................................................................... 28 West Area Boundary Expansion .............................................................................................................. 29 Marco Level Effects of Proposed Impacts to District .............................................................................. 29 Possible Cumulative Effects to National Register Eligibility .................................................................... 30 CONCLUSION ............................................................................................................................................... 30 REFERENCES CITED ...................................................................................................................................... 32 APPENDIX A: SNOW KING MOUNTAIN RESORT MAP ..................................................................................... APPENDIX B: ALTERNATIVE SUMMARY REPORT............................................................................................. APPENDIX C: COMMENTS FROM INTERESTED PARTIES ................................................................................. 1 APPENDIX D: NATIONAL LIST OF SKI AREAS BY YEAR OPENED ....................................................................... APPEMDIX E: LIST OF WYOMING SKI AREAS BY LOCATION AND YEAR OPENED ............................................ APPENDIX F: SNOW KING & COMMUNITY MEANING .................................................................................... 2 LIST OF FIGURES Figure 1. Map of Area of Potential Effect……………………………………………………………………………………6 Figure 2. Snow King, Jackson Hole, and National Reputation for Outdoor Recreation Culture and Access………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………11 Figure 3. Snow King Ski Area Historic District Boundary Adjustments Integrity Update for District Resources………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………………..13 Figure 4. Changes in Resource Integrity……………………………………………………………………………………16 Figure 5. Comparative Illustration analysis……………………………………………………………………………….18 Figure 6. Map of character defining features for Snow King Ski Area……………………………………….19 Figure 7. Teton and Town Views from the Top of Elk Run……………………………………………………..…20 Figure 8. Open Lower Area……………………………………………………………………………………………………...21 Figure 9. View of Snow King while Entering Jackson…………………………………………………………………22 Figure 10. Ski Run Development Proposals by EIS Alternative………………………………………………….24 3 ABSTRACT This cultural resource report is for the Wyoming State Historic Preservation Office (SHPO) consultation on the first portion of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) for proposed major developments at Snow King Mountain Resort (SKMR), which operates on the Bridger- Teton National Forest (BTNF) under a special use permit. Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA) requires the Forest Service (FS) to consult with SHPO on the proposed project because it is a federal undertaking as defined by the Section 106 regulations (36 CFR 800). The FS is coordinating Section 106 consultation with the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) analysis as encouraged under 36 CFR 800.8(a)(1). Additional consultation may be needed when the undertaking is more fully defined in the later stages of NEPA analysis. Two reports - Sladek (2019) and Cannon (2018) - document cultural resources in the project area and assess the potential effects of proposed developments on historic properties. The primary focus of this report is to supplement the Sladek report and two earlier reports, Humstone (2012) and Davis (2014), all of which address the ski area’s eligibility for listing in the National Register of Historic Places. Sladek (2019) provides an excellent update on the Snow King Ski Area Historic District’s Area of Potential Effect (APE), integrity, and an initial assessment of effects on the District. This report does not aim to replace past cultural resource studies, which the reader is encouraged to review. Instead, it provides additional information to clarify and/or support the FS’s determination on the District’s significance, eligibility, boundary, contributing and noncontributing resources, character-defining features, and assessment of a range of proposed effects. UNDERTAKING/PROJECT DESCRIPTION This report initiates formal Section 106 consultation with SHPO on a federal undertaking that is broadly defined as the maximum extent of development analyzed under an EIS for Snow King Mountain Resort (See Appendix A for Resort Map). The undertaking, for Section 106 review purposes as of the fall of 2019, consists of the proposed action, the modified proposed action, and the alternative proposed action. The Draft Alternative Summary report, attached in Appendix B, details the range of development that is being proposed at Snow King Mountain Resort. The purpose and need of the Snow King Mountain Resort On-Mountain Improvements Project EIS is to increase the amount of ski terrain with an emphasis on beginner terrain, increase the quality of on-mountain facilities, and expand use of the resort for summer activities. Major proposed developments include expanding the ski area boundary, installing new lifts and a gondola, construction of a building at the top of the mountain to accommodate visitors and incorporate a planetarium, expanded lighting and snowmaking, new mountain bike trails, and a zipline. 4 The proposed action was created prior to substantial FS, Town of Jackson, Teton County, and general public input. The modified proposed action incorporates initial concerns from the aforementioned groups. The alternative proposed action (currently under development) incorporates management considerations for cultural resources, wildlife, and recreation. The development of this undertaking in conjunction with Section 106 research is providing FS decision-makers on the Bridger-Teton National Forest (BTNF) insight into a variety of potential effects that the range of development options may have on the Snow King Ski Area Historic District (see Map in