ARAPAHOE BASIN SKI AREA PROJECTS FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT DRAFT RECORD OF DECISION AUGUST 2016 USDA Forest Service White River National Forest Dillon Ranger District In accordance with Federal civil rights law and U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) civil rights regulations and policies, the USDA, its Agencies, office, and employees, and institutions participating in or administering USDA programs are prohibited from discriminating based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, gender identity (including gender expression), sexual orientation, disability, age, marital status, family/parental status, income derived from a public assistance program, political beliefs, or reprisal or retaliation for prior civil rights activity, in any program or activity conducted or funded by USDA (not all bases apply to all programs). Remedies and complaint filing deadlines vary by program or incident. 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Cover photo credits: Arapahoe Basin Ski Area, Dave Camara, Hal Hartman, Bonsai Design ARAPAHOE BASIN SKI AREA PROJECTS FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT STATEMENT DRAFT RECORD OF DECISION August 2016 USDA FOREST SERVICE ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGION WHITE RIVER NATIONAL FOREST DILLON RANGER DISTRICT Summit County, Colorado Lead Agency: USDA Forest Service Responsible Official: Scott Fitzwilliams, Forest Supervisor White River National Forest For Information Contact: Matt Ehrman, Project Leader White River National Forest 900 Grand Avenue Glenwood Springs, CO 81601 [email protected] This page intentionally left blank Draft Record of Decision DRAFT RECORD OF DECISION INTRODUCTION This draft Record of Decision (ROD) documents my decision to approve proposed projects and activities within Arapahoe Basin’s (A-Basin) Special Use Permit (SUP) boundary on the White River National Forest (WRNF) in Summit County, Colorado. My decision is based on, and supported by, the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area Projects Final Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) and the project file. Arapahoe Basin Ski Area (A-Basin) is located in the Dillon Ranger District of the WRNF, 15 miles east of Dillon, Colorado. A-Basin is approximately one to two hours driving time from the metropolitan Denver area via Interstate 70 (I-70) and Highway 6 (refer to the Vicinity Map in Chapter 6 of the FEIS). It can be accessed via Highway 6 from the west through the Town of Dillon or from the east from Loveland Pass. A-Basin is owned by Dundee Resort Development, a subsidiary of Dream Unlimited Corporation, and operates under a United States Forest Service (Forest Service) Ski Area Term SUP. A-Basin’s SUP covers approximately 1,872 acres of National Forest System (NFS) lands, which encompass 100 percent of the ski area’s chairlift/terrain network, parking facilities, infrastructure, and guest services. PURPOSE AND NEED In order to meet the needs and expectations of existing and potential guests and provide a safe skiing experience, the WRNF, through its acceptance of A-Basin’s 2012 Master Development Plan (MDP), has identified a need to: • Provide the Beavers with snow safety operations and ski patrol services consistent with statements made in the 2002 WRNF Forest Plan FEIS. • Accommodate existing and future demand for high alpine and open bowl skiing while protecting and enhancing the distinctive skiing experience that A-Basin provides. • Improve access along the 400-foot-long, slightly uphill catwalk from Lenawee Mountain chairlift to Montezuma Bowl. • Upgrade and remove chairlifts, as needed. • Provide adventure-based multi-season experiences that require little specialized knowledge, skills, equipment or familiarity with the mountain environment. THE DECISION AND RATIONALE FOR THE DECISION After thoroughly considering the project Purpose and Need, issues, alternatives, and extensive analyses presented in the Arapahoe Basin Ski Area Projects FEIS, as well as the public and agency comments submitted, my decision is to approve Alternative 2. All of the projects approved by my decision are on Arapahoe Basin Ski Area Projects Final Environmental Impact Statement ROD-1 Draft Record of Decision NFS lands within 2002 Forest Plan Management Area 8.25 and occur within the A-Basin’s SUP boundary. THE SELECTED ALTERNATIVE My decision to approve the Selected Alternative provides A-Basin with the authorization to implement activities analyzed in detail in the FEIS. In particular, the Selected Alternative includes the addition of approximately 338 acres of skiing terrain in the Beavers, construction of a new chairlift to access the Beavers terrain, a new surface lift to access Montezuma Bowl, replacement of the Molly Hogan and Pallavicini chairlifts, removal of the Norway chairlift, grading projects to improve operational efficiency and skier circulation, and construction of a canopy tour and challenge course. All approved projects will be located within A-Basin’s existing SUP area. The Selected Alternative is depicted in the Selected Alternative Figure. These projects will allow A-Basin to better meet guest expectations and address the project Purpose and Need. Implementation of the projects in the Selected Alternative will also respond to long-term goals and objectives of the 2002 WRNF Forest Plan and new Forest Service direction regarding additional seasonal and year-round recreational activities at ski areas. DECISION RATIONALE The entire Arapahoe Basin Ski Area Projects analysis and public involvement processes were both thorough and informative in making my decision. They provided a foundation for my decision and the project design criteria (PDC) identified in Table ROD-2. I have carefully reviewed the FEIS and the environmental impacts of this project. The FEIS discloses, using the best available science and information, the qualitative and quantitative effects on the human and biological environment that are anticipated to result with the implementation of the approved projects. My rationale for choosing the Selected Alternative is based on careful consideration of several key elements addressed during the public involvement and analysis process, including consistency with: the project Purpose and Need, the 2002 WRNF Forest Plan, agency direction for additional seasonal and year-round recreational activities at ski areas, and A-Basin’s 2012 MDP. Consistency with the Project Purpose and Need and the 2002 WRNF Forest Plan I am approving the Selected Alternative because it best meets the project Purpose and Need to meet the growing demand at A-Basin for this terrain type, improve the guest experience across the ski area, and address skier safety within the Beavers terrain. In particular, I believe that adding lift-served terrain in the Beavers will improve the unique recreational experience offered at A-Basin while addressing safety concerns in this area. Summit County Board of County Commissioners, Summit County Sheriff’s Office, and Summit County Rescue Group all concur with my understanding and support the Forest Service’s and Arapahoe Basin Ski Area Projects Final Environmental Impact Statement ROD-2 Draft Record of Decision A-Basin’s approach to managing the Beavers terrain. During project site visits, my staff has witnessed guests of A-Basin disembarking the Pallavicini chairlift, sliding to the ski area boundary, ducking the boundary rope and/or exiting through the backcountry access point, and entering the Beavers terrain and Steep Gullies only to return to the ski area. I acknowledge this is great skiing terrain for those that are equipped and prepared; however, the proximity and ease of access (legal or illegal) from the ski area is problematic from a safety standpoint. The Sheriff’s Office has provided data that is included in the project file that speaks to the frequency of calls for rescue, as well as the frequency of calls annually confirming that A-Basin ski patrol is leaving the ski area operational boundary to rescue members of the public in the Beavers terrain. The Forest Service first identified the need for snow safety operations and ski patrol in the Beavers when this area was included in Management 8.25 and A-Basin’s SUP area in the 2002 WRNF Forest Plan. I recognize that the proximity to A-Basin makes this area a popular lift-served, backcountry destination, but the difficulty of the terrain poses serious safety risks for the many skiers who currently ski there and hitchhike on Highway 6 back to the base area. The 2002 WRNF Forest Plan includes the following statement in our discussion of potential ski area expansion areas: “The Beavers are popular with backcountry skiers and snowboarders who access the site from