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QU:9J7 BACKGROUND INFORMATION Under the Creative Act (March 3. 1891.26 Stat. 1103). large lI'acts of public land were set aside by the federal government as Forest Reserves. On July I. 1905. the Forest Service was created within the USDA to more effectively ac!mini<ter these reserves. now called National Forests. The Holy Cross and Sopris National Forests were proclaimed on August 25. 1905. and Apri126. 1909. reSpectively. In 1945. they were merged into the WRNF. Today the WRNF encompasses 2.089,487 acres. of which 1.960.760 acres are managed by the Forest Sezvice. The remaining area is managed by the Bureau of Reclamation. the State of Colorado. Pitkin County or municipalities or are privately owned. The Aspen Highlands area occurs in the southern part of the WRNF (originally in the Sopris Forest) in the Aspen Ranger District. Chap'eT 1 - Purpose <WI Need Special use permits are issued by the Forest Service to private parties to construct and operate for-profit facilities on NFS lands. On July 16. 1957. a 30-year SUP was issued by the Forest Service for 4.200 acres on Aspen Highlands. The present SUP covering 3.116 acres was issued to the Aspen Highlands Mountain Limited Liability Company (AHMLLC) on December 8.1993. and will expire on April 5. 2031. The ASC is currently managing. openuing. and maintaining Aspen Highlands on behalf of AHMLLC. The permit area includes Highland Peak. the lower Highland Peak Ridge, and Highland and Maroon bowls. The lower Highland Peak Ridge has been skied by the public since the 1958-59 ski season. MANAGEMENT DIRECTION In evaluating ASC's proposal. the Forest Service is required to ensure that the proposal is consistent with all laws and regulations. specifically the Forest Plan (USDA-FS 1984a. as amended). The National Forest Ski Area Act of 1986 (16. USC497b. FSM 2700-92-13) authorizes the Forest Service to issue tenn ski area permits ..... for the use and occupancy of suitable lands within the National Forest System for Nordic and alpine skiing operations..... and states that pennits "shall encompass such acreage as the Forest Service detennines sufficient and appropriate to accommodate the permittee's needs for ski operations and appropriate ancillary facilities." The Final ElS for the Rocky Mountain Regional Guide (USDA-FS 1983) establishes a four-level system for detamining the priorities for ski area expansion or development. A July 1991 supplement to this guide identifies undeveloped arcas within the SUP boundary at Aspen Highlands. along with area adjacent to the SUP areas at Aspen Mountain. Buttermilk. and Snowmass. as an area of highest priority for expansion. The Ecosystem Management Policy of 1992. as articulated by Jack Ward Thomas (Chief of the Forest Service) promotes environmentally sensitive. socially responsive. economically feasible. and scientifically sound multiple-use management of NFS land. The National Recreation SlI'ategy (USDA-FS 1988) is aimed at fostering public/private partnerships for the provision of year-round recreational opponunities on NFS land to promote local economic diversity through successful and responsible development of mountain resons. The Forest Plan, which provides management direction for the WRNF for the 1984-1999 period, designates Aspen Highlands as a winter sports site (lB Management Area). In addition. the Forest Plan Amendment 90-2 includes the following goal: to provide a wider variety of amenities that satisfies the desires of recreational visitors and to provide additional downhi11 skiing opportunities particularly at existing sites. More specifically. the Forest Plan provides long-range management direction for the WRNF. Under the Forest Plan, management direction is expressed in terms of Forest Direction and Management Area Direction. Forest . Direction consists of goals. objectives. and management requirements. The goals and objectives provide broad overall direction regarding the desired future condition of the WRNF and the type and amount of goods and services that the WRNF will provide. The management requirements contained in the Forest Direction section set the baseline condition that must be maintained while achieving the goals and objectives. They establish the environmental quality requirements. natural and depletable resource requirements. and mitigating measures that must be met by various uses and activities of the WRNF. Management Area Direction contains management requirements specific to individual areas within the WRNF and are applied in addition to the Forest Direction requirements. Management Direction responds to public issues. management concerns. and opportunities within the availability. suitability. and capability of the land and resources. lmroduclion Managemenl Direction 1-3