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<br />Ml133 <br /> <br />Record 0/ Decision <br /> <br />WilDLIFE AND BIODIVERSITY <br /> <br />$ What will be the impact of the project on Biodiversity on a landscape scale including species diversity, <br />habitat connectivity, structural diversity and old-growth forests? <br /> <br />$ How might wildlife species that depend on forest-interior habitat be affected? <br /> <br />t <br />I <br /> <br />* What are the potential impacts to elk calving areas, migration, and summer use? <br /> <br />$: Will the project affect special interest species such as Bighorn Sheep and Ptannigan? <br /> <br />The projecfs potential impacts were assessed at two geographic scales, the regional and analysis area <br />(which contains the project area) levels. The conclusions in the EIS indicated that development would <br />have a minor impact on biodiversity if examined at the project area level, but that these impacts would <br />be increasingly diluted at larger scales. The EIS discloses that, though there would be some additional <br />fragmentation as a result of development of the Deep Steeplechase area, the area would continue to <br />provide adequate quantities of forest-interior habitat. <br /> <br />Potential impacts to old-growth forest areas were addressed at the analysis area scale. Medium- and high- <br />intensity glading in the Deep Steeplechase area would affect approximately 28 percent of the potential and <br />recruitment old-growth stands within the analysis area. These treatments would likely result in changes <br />to the stmclure and function of these stands. However, portions of these stands may undergo little or no <br />glading since the objective of tree removal is only to create a sufficiently open stand to allow tree skiing. <br />These impacts are well within acceptable limits. <br /> <br />Two special interest species, the white-tailed prannigan and bighorn sheep have the potential to be affected <br />through the approval of summer uses of the Aspen Highlands Ski Area. No summer uses will be <br />authorized during the construction of on-mountain facilities and/or the base village development. When <br />the ASC submits the summer operating plan, the activities will require the appropriate mitigation identified <br />in this decision for the above mentioned species. <br /> <br />CULTURAL RESOURCES <br /> <br />$ What will be the effect of the development on cultural (heritagc) resources? <br /> <br />The EIS documents that none of the alternatives considered would impact any cultural resource sites <br />eligible for the National Register of Historic Places. A representative of the Northern Ute Indian Tribe <br />visited the project area and was unable to locate any significant sites or artifacts, <br /> <br />If <br /> <br />LAND USE <br /> <br />* Is summer use proposed for the project area? <br /> <br />'* Will the public be invited to access the public lands during non-ski seasons? <br /> <br />The EIS has analyzed the impacts to the area and surrounding areas should summer activities be pennitted, <br />At this time, the Aspen Skiing Company has no intention of developing or offering summer activities on <br /> <br />COIlS/deration ojEm'ITonmentallssues <br />Land Use <br /> <br />31 <br />