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B. PURPOSE AND NEED The action proposed is upgrading and expansion of winter and summer recreational development in an area allocated to winter resort recreation by the WRNF Forest Plan. This action is being assessed in order to implement land use allocations and management prescriptions specified for the area in the Forest Plan. The proposal is consistent with programmatic direction set forth in the Rocky Mountain Regional Guide and the Forest Plan. The decision needed is selection of activities that enhance the area's recreational potential, consistent with environmental, economic and social factors, The decision will be implemented through issuance of a new special use permit, pursuant to the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986, which will be based upon the updated MDP approved through this EIS process, The proposed improvements and expansion of the existing skiing terrain are intended to: . Provide new and expanded high-quality year-round recreational opportunities, including downhill skiing and other developed and dispersed recreational activities, that are consistent with physical and biological resources objectives. . Provide the services and facilities needed by existing and projected visitors, including day skiers, destination skiers and summer visitors, over the short and long terms, This includes accommodating additional demand for recreational opportunities that will be generated from local (Roaring Fork Valley-wide area) planned and approved developments. . Improve access, egress, day skier parking and skier distribution to and within the permit area and thus the recreational experience on NFSL. . Improve the balance of summer and winter recreational opportunities in the Snowmass Village area to promote community diversity and stability, economic viability and a more stable work force. . Provide the improvements, such as high-speed lifts and advanced snowmaking systems, and expansion needed to ensure that the Snowmass Ski Area remains economically stable and capable of providing quality skiing experiences, . Improve existing public access to NFSL and ensure its provision in the long term, for a variety of recreational activities. There is a need to upgrade existing services and expand the type and quality of services and facilities at Snowrnass to accommodate additional winter and summer uses and evolving customer preferences for recreational events within and adjacent to this permit area, The Forest Service desires that the Snowmass Ski Area remain a viable operation so that high-quality public recreation opportunities continue to be offered over the long term, The addition of high- quality terrain, expansion of snowmaking coverage to enhance earlier openings, replacement of outdated lift equipment, and renovation and/or addition of restaurant and support facilities would measurably improve the overall recreational experience at the ski area. Additional parking facilities, a new ingress/egress portal, and/or enhanced mass transit will improve the visitor experience when entering and leaving the ski area. C. PUBLIC INVOLVEMENT / AGENCY COORDINATION Scoping was utilized early in the planning process to identify the issues to be addressed and the depth of analysis required for the EIS. The scoping process began in October 1991 and extended through early May 1992. The scoping process resulted in the identification of a wide variety of potential issues and concerns to be addressed in the EIS, These were condensed and consolidated into 73 issues in 11 major topic areas, which were then reviewed to identify the most significant issues. While the EIS focuses on the most significant issues, all the issues identified through scoping have been considered in the various resource analyses. Summary . 2