WSP06783

• File Number: 8149.700
• Description: Miscellaneous Small Projects and Project Studies - Homestake Project
• State: CO
• Basin: Arkansas
• Water Division: 2
• Date: 5/21/1982
• Author: US Dept of Ag
• Title: Homestake Phase II Project Eagle County Summary of Draft Environmental Impact Statement
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: EIS

allocation process through adjudication is quite properly a matter of
state concern and should be settled by the state.
This draft environmental impact statement (DEIS) describes the
Cities' proposed action and alternatives to the proposed action for the
Homestake Phase II water diversion project. The description
encompasses the affected environment and discloses the environmental
consequences for the proposed action and alternatives studied in detai I.
An environmental impact statement is not in itself a decision
document. It is a document disclosing the environmental consequences
of implementation of the proposed action or alternatives. It is an
important document for federal, state, and local governments to use in
arriving at their individual decisions regarding the proposed action and
its alternatives.
The environmental consequences to lands and activities
administered by other federal, state, and local jurisdictions resulting
from the proposed action have been disclosed in this DEIS. Through
cooperation, other interested individuals, federal, state, and local
jurisdictions have assisted in the disclosure of environmental
consequences and development of alternatives to the proposed action.
A large portion of this document has been prepared by
Environmental Research & Technology, Inc. (ERT) a third-party
consultant under contract to the Forest Service. This concept has been
challenged by the Vail Valley Consolidated Water District. While under
contract to the Forest Service this consultant has been paid by the
project proponents. It is the position of the Forest Service that a
Memorandum of Understanding between the Forest Service and a
proponent for the preparation of an EIS by a third party contractor,
who is paid by the proponent but works under the immediate direction
of the Forest Service, does not violate any laws or regulations (See
Appendix A).
The Forest Service decision concerning Homestake Phase II will
relate only to lands administered by the Forest Service. Decisions by
other jurisdictions to issue or not to issue approvals related to this
project may be made by them using the information available in this
document. Several other agencies did cooperate in preparation of this
document including:

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. U. S. Environmental Protection Agency.
. U. S, Army Corps of Engineers.
. U. S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
. Colorado Division of Wildlife.
. Colorado State Historic Preservation Officer.

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On September 10, 1981, the Forest Service and the Foundation for
Urban and Neighborhood Development (FUND) began a scoping process
to define the issues this document would address. Public meetings were
held at Minturn, Red Cliff, Leadville, and Vail, At the end of the
scoping period, the Forest Service identified issues from comments
received at public scoping sessions, from written public response forms
distributed for the Homestake Phase II scoping, from other federal and

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