United States FINAL ENVIRONMENTAL Department of Agriculture IMPACT STATEMENT Forest Service Pacific Northwest Region - Pacific Mt. Ashland Ski Area Southwest Region August Expansion 2004 Rogue River -Siskiyou National Forest Ashland Ranger District Klamath National Forest Scott River Ranger District Volume 3 APPENDICES APPENDIX A: RESPONSE TO COMMENTS APPENDIX B: ISSUES DETERMINED TO BE OUT OF SCOPE APPENDIX C: CUMULATIVE WATERSHED EFFECTS ANALYSIS APPENDIX D: ACTIONS AND ALTERNATIVES CONSIDERED BUT ELIMINATED APPENDIX E: WETLAND AND STREAM SURVEY APPENDIX F: HYDROLOGIC REPORTS APPENDIX G: ROADS ANALYSIS APPENDIX H: WEPP MODEL APPENDIX I: ECONOMIC FEASIBILITY ANALYSIS APPENDIX J: SCENIC ANALYSIS APPENDIX K: SELECTED MAA PROPOSAL DETAILS APPENDIX L: RECREATION ANALYSIS APPENDIX M: BIOLOGICAL OPINIONS APPENDIX N: HERITAGE RESOURCES APPENDIX A RESPONSE TO COMMENTS Appendix A Final Environmental Impact Statement Mt. Ashland Ski Area Expansion Summary of Responses to Comments Received on the July 2003 Draft EIS Table of Contents PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT............................................................................................................. A-3 SUMMARY OF PUBLIC RESPONSE.......................................................................................... A-4 Form of Response ...................................................................................................................... A-4 Type of Respondent................................................................................................................... A-4 Geographic Location................................................................................................................. A-5 Summary of Preference ............................................................................................................ A-5 Summary of Comments ............................................................................................................ A-6 RESPONSE TO COMMENTS....................................................................................................... A-6 Coding Assumptions ........................................................................................................................ A-6 Minor Corrections, Clarifications, & Changes for Consistency: Text ................................. A-7 Minor Corrections, Clarifications, & Changes for Consistency: Maps ............................... A-13 SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTS - PURPOSE AND NEED........................................................... A-14 General ....................................................................................................................................... A-14 Issues .......................................................................................................................................... A-16 Permits........................................................................................................................................ A-17 SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTS - ALTERNATIVES.................................................................... A-19 General ....................................................................................................................................... A-19 Forest Plan Amendments.......................................................................................................... A-21 Alternative Development .......................................................................................................... A-22 Actions and Alternatives Considered But Eliminated (DEIS Appendix D)......................... A-22 Components Considered In Detail: Buildings ........................................................................ A-23 Components Considered In Detail: Parking........................................................................... A-25 Components Considered In Detail: Lifts................................................................................. A-28 Components Considered In Detail: Infrastructure ................................................................ A-29 Components Considered In Detail: Snowplay ........................................................................ A-32 Components Considered In Detail: Runs................................................................................ A-33 Components Considered In Detail: Watershed Restoration ................................................. A-35 Components Considered In Detail: Tree Cutting, Timber, Slash......................................... A-37 Function and Description of Alternatives ............................................................................... A-38 Mitigation Measures.................................................................................................................. A-38 Monitoring ................................................................................................................................. A-43 Response to Comments Page A-1 Mt. Ashland Ski Area Expansion SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTS - AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT......................................... A-47 General ....................................................................................................................................... A-47 Physical Environment - Climate .............................................................................................. A-48 Physical Environment - Geology.............................................................................................. A-49 Physical Environment - Soil Processes .................................................................................... A-50 Physical Environment - Restoration Practices ....................................................................... A-52 Physical Environment - Watershed Resources....................................................................... A-53 Biological Environment - Landscape Ecology ........................................................................ A-60 Biological Environment - Vegetation Conditions ................................................................... A-61 Biological Environment - Sensitive Plants............................................................................... A-62 Biological Environment - Biodiversity/Outstanding Plant Communities ..................... A-62 Biological Environment - Terrestrial Wildlife and Habitat .................................................. A-65 Biological Environment - Macroinvetebrates and Fish Populations .................................... A-67 Human Environment - McDonald Peak Inventoried Roadless Area ................................... A-67 Human Environment - Transportation................................................................................. A-68 Human Environment - Skiing Demand................................................................................. A-69 Human Environment - Recreation at MASA and Vicinity .............................................. A-72 Human Environment - Social and Economic Conditions ................................................ A-73 SUBSTANTIVE COMMENTS - ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES............................. A-74 General ....................................................................................................................................... A-74 Physical - Effects of Snowfall/Climatic Change...................................................................... A-74 Physical - Effects on Slope Stability......................................................................................... A-75 Physical - Effects on Soils - Erosion and Sedimentation........................................................ A-78 Physical - Effects on Watershed Resources............................................................................. A-87 Physical - Effects on Water Quality - ACS Objectives........................................................... A-89 Biological - Landscape Ecology Effects ................................................................................... A-92 Biological - Effects on Engelmann Spruce .............................................................................. A-92 Biological - Effects on Vegetation Conditions and Forest Health ......................................... A-93 Biological - Effects on Sensitive Plants .................................................................................... A-94 Biological - Effects on NWFP Brophytes, Lichen, and Fungi ............................................... A-95 Biological - Effects on Biodiversity/Outstanding Plant Communities.................................. A-96 Biological - Effects on Terrestrial Wildlife Habitat ............................................................... A-96 Biological - Effects on Aquatic Habitat and Fish Populations .............................................. A-98 Human - Effects to Scenic Quality........................................................................................... A-98 Human - Effects to Transportation.......................................................................................... A-98 Human - Effects Associated with Skiing Demand .................................................................. A-99 Human - Effects to Lift-Served Skiing at MASA ................................................................... A-100 Human - Effects to Recreation Excluding Life-Served Skiing .............................................. A-102 Human - Effects Associated with Economics.........................................................................