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CONDITIONS Final construction approval is condition.ed upon the permittee locating an alignment and preparing a construction plan that will avoid any significant impacts to wetlands (as verified by the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (COE)). No grading will be allowed on the alignment except for individual tower footings. ASC has indicated that through application of special construction practices, such as transporting in towers and equipment over deep snowpack and digging foundations by hand, they could avoid any significant disturbance to wetlands or tundra'vegetation. Development will be limited to the lift only; there will be no anc~llary facilities allowed, such as warming huts. Winter use of the surface lift is conditioned upon adequate snowfall and wind conditions. The lift and ski terrain served are located within a "fetch" zone from which snow is picked up and blo>!11 into the Cirque proper. It will be critical to monitor this snow deposition and ensure that adequate coverage in the Cirque is achieved prior to allowing skiers to compact the fetch zone and alter the snow deposition process. Summer' maintenance activities will be conducted in accordance with a operating plan (approved by the Forest Service), designed to disturbances to big horn sheep and elk herds. specific minimize 10. General Lift Upgrades I also authorize the upgrade of all remaining fixed-grip chair lifts not specifically mentioned above (with the exception of Assay Hill). The final design and alignment of upgraded lifts depends upon implementation of the selected gondola alignment(s). The obvious upgrading options were described and analyzed in the FEIS action alternatives. DISCUSSION The permittee is provided the flexibility to determine whether upgrades to the Burlingame, Funnel, Elk Camp, Wood Run and Sheer Bliss fixed-grip lifts take the form of a gondola stage or high-speed detachable chairlifts. The High Alpine and Sheer Bliss lift alignments may be extended to provide indirect skiing access (as opposed to walking) to Hanging Valley and Cirque terrain. I recommend upgrade of the Burlingame lift as a high priority because of the need to supplement out-of-base capacity. The base terminal location in Base Village (parking Lot A vicinity) appears preferable because of its potential to reduce skier congestion at the Snowmass Mall and traffic on Snowmelt Road. Two alignments for a Campground lift upgrade were studied. One followed the existing alignment and the other lowered the top terminal approximately 800 vertical feet dO>!11hill and 400 feet west onto the Bearclaw trail. In conjunction with this trail, a skiway would be cleared to the base of the Sam's Knob lift. The Forest Service prefers the lower alignment because it would reduce congestion at the Sam's Knob summit and allow for better regulation of access to the Campground terrain, which is subject to poorer snow conditions than the upper half of the pod. Lowering the Campground top terminal would be necessary before a gondola summit could be installed at the top of the Burlingame alignment. However, if the Burlingame lift upgrade does not extend to the top of Sam's Knob, the existing Campground alignment may be appropriate. I recommend that some type of lift system, whether it be the existing chair, an upgraded chair, or a gondola stage be maintained on the Wood Run alignment. Even Page. 16 RECORD OF DECISION