WSP02570

• File Number: 8200.750
• Description: San Juan River General
• State: CO
• Basin: San Juan/Dolores
• Water Division: 7
• Date: 8/1/1986
• Author: USFS
• Title: Wolf Creek Valley Ski Area - Revised Draft - Environmental Impact Statement - San Juan National Forest - 1986 - Beginning to Chapter III
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

OD2JSS

CHAPl'ER I - PURPOSE AID NEED

A. PURPOSE CF Al'D NEED FOR THIS ACI'ION

The environmental analysis documentErl in this Ehvironmental Illl?act
Statement was undertaken in response to an application submittErl t.o the
Forest Service on January 30, 1984 by Westfork Investment, Ltd. for a
1:t>ecial U;e Permit to develop certain N:ltional Forest System land for
downhill skiing purposes. The Rockv Mountain Regional Guide CO&lA, Forest
Service, 1983) identifie:l this appliErl for site. kno.m as Windy Pass, as a
Priority 2. Under this priority, the Forest Service will initiate study
only with state and local government endorsement. Following receipt of
such an endorsement from the State of Colorcrlo and Mineral and Archuleta
Counties, authorization to study the proposal was given on Jlpril 5, 1984,
by the Regional Forester, Rocky Mountain Region.

The N:ltional Forest System land proposErl for developnent has been assignErl
a Management Area IB designation in the Land and Resource Man"9ement Plan
of the San Juan N:ltional Forest. This IB prescription retains the
management option for further study for a downhill ski area developnent by
the private sector. Slch developnent is dependent on approval of a Master
Developnent Plan by the Forest Service.

The Forest Service, subsequent to receipt of study authorization publishErl
a ~tice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Irrpact statement on Friday,
Septerrber 21, 1984, in the Federal Reg ister. The Draft Ehvironmental
Inpact Statement was cOlll?leted, and on October 2, 1985, the ~tice of
Availability was issuErl.

During the forty-five day review period which endErl on Decenber 2, 1985, a
nll!lber of comments were receivErl by the Forest Service concerning the
Environmental Analysis which hcrl been documentErl in the Draft Ehvironmental
Inpact Statement. Some cOIlIllentors expressErl opposition to the proposal
while others statErl opposition to the developnent in the "back bowls".
still other cOIllllenters askErl questions concerning certain inpacts which
they felt were not addressErl, challengErl certain conclusions, or specifiErl
a lack of crlequate analysis in the document. A small minority of cC1TUl\ents
statErl approval of the project and a desire that it rrove ahecrl.

Those who found a lack of adequate analysis found that to be particularly
so for those environmental elements including Wildlife, Air and Water
Resources. As a result of this perceivErl lack it was felt the full irrpacts
of the project were unkno.m, and, therefore, the document was incrlequate.
While not necessarily in agreement with the assessment of inadequacy the
Forest Service decidErl to issue a RevisErl Draft Environmental Irrpact
Statement in an effort to cure any inadequacies in the analysis.
Therefore, on March 18, 1986, a RevisErl ~tice of Intent was publishErl in
the Federal Reg ister.

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