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on~Jl lfl,(~~;~\;!;'i;,~t~ltj:ll,~'~;;;;,!;(;1;ij~~~;ill\i;;;j~(~j;li~;"lfi.FiCIE:;;;;\~~l;j;~;~lil'I(;;!lllii~;!;;~i;~!~!;~!!r~~i~ll;:li'l~l!I;'IJ!~; This Draft Environmental Impact Statement (Draft EIS) contains information about activities and resulting enviromnental effects associated with developments in the Aspen Highlands Ski Area. These developments are aimed at expanding and improving the recreation experi= provided by the reson. The information 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 information required in an EIS. The following provides an overview of the components of this document. Summary - The shon summary accompanying this Draft EIS provides a concise overview of the information, analyses, tables, and figures presented in the body of the document. Abbreviations - A list of abbreviations used in the document follows this preface. Table of Contents - Table of coments are provided at two levels of detail. An overall table of contents, showing the chapter headings and ftrSt order of subheadings within each chapter, is presented at the beginning of the document. A more detailed table of contents with up to four orders of subheadings is presented at the beginning of chapters I through 4. "Footers" at the bottom of each page are keyed to first and second order subheadings to help readers track their location in the document. Lists of tables and figures included in each chapter are included in each detailed table of contents. Chapter 1- Purpose and Need - Chapter 1 describes the purpose and need for the proposal and its scope of analysis. It briefly defines the NEPA process. describes the project area and background, and establishes agency involvement and decisions to be made. The fmal sections describe scoping and other public involvement activities and lists approvals and permits that may be required. Chapter 2 - The 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 to the proposed action (Alternative C). The potential environmental impacts of these alternatives on various rcsowces and potmtial mitigation measures to alleviate these impacts are also summarized at the end of this chapter. Chapter 3 - The Affected Environment - Otapter 3 describes current physical, biological. social, and economic conditions within the area of influence of the proposed action. This information provides the baseline for assessing and comparing the potential impacts of the alternatives, This chapter is subdivided into 16 resource arelW'disciplines. 1bis allows readers to target those resources or disciplines of greatest interest to them. It also allows readers to compare information presented in Olapter 4 with corresponding "current conditions" presented in this chapter. Chapter 4 - Environmental Consequences - Chapter 4 provides a comprehensive scientific 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 information 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 of each alternative with the Forest Plan, and each provides an assessment of the unavoidable impacts of implementing each alternative. The Hi