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<br />0l",r,.t5Q <br />uUl'. ~ t ,.j <br /> <br />A. GENERAL MANAGEMENT DIRECTION <br /> <br />In evaluating and deciding upon ASC's proposal and alternative actions, I was <br />required to ensure that selected actions are consistent with management .direction <br />for the project area'and in the public interest. There are a variety of laws and <br />regulations that call for the agency to work with private industry to provide <br />needed recreational facilities, including downhill ski areas, on suitable NFSL. <br /> <br />Special use permits- are to be administered for public recreational uses that <br />promote public health and safety and protect the environment. Forest Service <br />policy encourages year-round recreation opportunities at ski areas to serve the <br />public, provide economic stability to local communities, and promote economic <br />commercial ventures (Forest Service Manual (FSM) 2343.1). Other management <br />direction guiding uses of the project area is summarized below. <br /> <br />B. ECOSYSTEM MANAGEMENT <br /> <br />Ongoing research and changing technologies have provided better insights into the <br />consequences of traditional land management practices and the potential benefits <br />of new approaches. One recent action taken by the Forest Service in response to <br />increasing public interest and improved scientific information was the <br />announcement of a new Ecosystem Management Policy on June 4, 1992. Ecosystem <br />management promotes the use of an ecological approach to achieve the multiple-use <br />management of National Forests and Grasslands by blending the needs of people and <br />environmental valu'es in such a way that National Forests 'and Grasslands represent <br />diverse, healthy, productive, and sustainable ecosystems. Achieving desired <br />future conditions is an integral part of the management philosophy. <br /> <br />C. NATIONAL FOREST SKI AREA PERMIT ACT <br /> <br />The National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986 (16 USC 497b; FSM 2700-92-13) <br />authorizes the Forest Service to issue term ski area permits "...for the use and <br />occupancy of suitable lands within the National Forest System for nordic and <br />alpine skiing operations and purposes" (Section 3 (b)). The Act also states that <br />a permit "shall encompass such acreage as the Forest Service determines <br />sufficient and appropriate to acc'ommodate .the' permittee's needs for ski <br />operations and appropriate ancillary facilities" (Section 3(b) (3)). <br /> <br />D. ROCKY MOUNTAIN REGIONAL GUIDE <br /> <br />It is the policy of the Forest Service in Region 2 to provide for the development <br />of winter sports sites to meet public needs where such development is compatible <br />with other resource values. It is also policy to maintain the opportunity for <br />expansion or construction of downhill skiing opportunities by the private sector. <br />When the need is justified, existing permittees are encouraged to expand. <br />Requests for expansion take precedence over new ski area proposals. The Final <br />Environmental Impact Statement (FEIS) for the Rocky Mountain Regional Guide (USDA <br />Forest Service, 1983) establishes a four-level system for determining the <br />priorities for ski area expansion or development. A July 1991 Supplement to the <br />Regional Guide updates the inventory of potential ski area sites. Snowmass is <br />identified in both the FEIS and the Regional Supplement as a Category 1 site, or <br />area of highest priority for expansion, because of its expansion capacity within <br />the current permit area. <br /> <br />RECORD OF DECISION <br /> <br />Page . 3 <br />