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OD1533 Prefl1l:~ PREFACE This Final Environmentallmpact Statement (Final EIS) contains infonnation about activities and resulting environmental effects associated with developments in the Aspen Highlands Ski Area. These developments are aimed at expanding and improving the recreation experience provided by the resort. The infonnation is organized to facilitate consideration of these effects by the public and by the Forest Supervisor, who is responsible for deciding whether or not to approve the proposal put forward by the Aspen Skiing Company or alternatives to this proposal. Understanding the structure of this document is crucial to an overall understanding of the infonnation required in an EIS. The following provides an overview of the components of this document. Abbrevilltions - A list of abbreviations used in the document follows this preface. Table of Contents - Table of contents are provided at two levels of detail. An overall table of contents, showing the chapter heading:; and flrst order of subheading:; within each chapter, is presented at the beginning of the document. A more detailed table of contents with up to four orders of subheading:; is presented at the beginning of chapters I through 4. "Footers" at the bottom of each page are keyed to flfst and second order subheading:; to help readers track their location in the document. Lists oftables and figures included in each chapter are included in each detailed table of contents. Summary - The summary included in this Final EIS provides a concise overview of the infonnation, analyses, tables, and figures presented in the body of the document. This same summary was also printed separately for those readers who only requested the summary document. Cbapter 1- Purpose and Need - Chapter I describes the purpose and need for the proposal and its scope of analysis. It briefly defInes the NEP A process, describes the project area and background, and establishes agency involvement and decisions to be made. The fInal sections describe scoping and other public involvement activities and lists approvals and penn its that may be required. Chapter 2 - Tbe Proposed Action and Alternatives - Chapter 2 includes a description of ''No Action" (Alternative A), the action proposed by the Aspen Skiing Company (Alternative B), and the Forest Service preferred alternative (Alternative C). The potential environmental impacts of these alternatives on various resources and potential mitigation measures to alleviate these impacts are also summarized at the end of this chapter. Cbapter 3 - Tbe Affected Environment - Chapter 3 describes current physical, biological, social, and economic conditions within the area of influence of the proposed action. This infonnation provides the baseline for assessing and comparing the potential impacts of the alternatives. This chapter is subdivided into 16 resource areas/disciplines. This allows readers to target those resources or disciplines of greatest interest to them. It also allows readers to compare infonnation presented in Chapter 4 with corresponding "current conditions" presented in this chapter. Cbapter 4 - Environmental Consequences - Chapter 4 provides a comprehensive scientiflc and analytic comparison of the potential environmental impacts of alternatives B and C, relative to the No Action Alternative. In order to facilitate comparison of infonnation provided in chapters 3 and 4, this chapter is subdivided into the same 16 resource area/discipline subsections as those used in Chapter 3. Using the baseline established in Chapter 3, each subsection in Chapter 4 details the possible direct, indirect, and cumulative effects of each alternative. Each subsection also provides a series of potential mitigation measures that could be implemented to alleviate possible impacts, each provides an analysis of the level of compliance