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002108 Summary POTENTIAL MITIGATION MEASURES Since the ski area expansion under either Alternative B and C would not significantly alter the PMIO and CO emissions and concentrations nor visibility, no measures would be necessary to mitigate air quality impacts. However, several measures have been proposed to enhance air quality in the region. NOISE AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT Noise sources at Aspen Highlands include construction and maintenance activities, snow grooming and snow making activities. vehicular traffic, logging operations. and avalanche control. Wintertime sources of noise on the mountain include snowcats, snowmaking pumps, and skilifts, but these create minimal noise levels. More significant is the noise created by avalanche control activities that include the use of explosives and guns. However, most avalanches occur in the distal southern one-third of the ski area because of the terrain steepness in the Highland Bowl and Maroon Bowl. Snowplows. buses, and automobiles create noise at the base of Aspen Highlands. Off-site noise sources include all those associated with an urban selling, with construction activities and vehicular traffic being the main sources. ENVIRONMENTAL CONSEQUENCES No new noise sources would be created under the No Action Alternative. The main additional noise sources under Alternative B would be noise from construction and tree clearing during installation of the new facilities. Extension of the snowmaking terrain and increased avalanche control activities would add noise sources at high elevations. In particular, the 800 hp air compressors that would be housed in the control building would generate up to 85 decibels at a distance of 3 fi:et. but these levels would be substantially damped by the building insulation. Under Alternative B the noise from snowblowers would extend up as far as Loge Peak, while under Alternative C it would extend as far as Midway. In addition, the increased avalanche control activity that would occur. particularly in the Highland and Maroon bowl areas. would add to noise sources from high elevation, relatively open locations along the ridge between the Loge and Highland peaks. Under Alternative C, noise from additional snowmaking would be limited to Midway and below, and noise from avalanche control in Maroon Bowl would be eliminated. An additional source of noise during both the ski season and the summer would consist of visitors to the Loge Peak restaurant. POTENTIAL MITIGATION MEASURES To minimize noise impacts, construction and maintenance will be conducted only during normal working hours and will be restricted during wildlife breeding periods. Outdoor entertairunent activities should occur in places where natural sound barriers can be erected to prevent noise traveling over the ridge into either valley. CULTURAL RESOURCES AFFECTED ENVIRONMENT A two-phase Class ill study was conducted to inventory cultural resources at Aspen Highlands. The initial phase covered the areas affected by the installation of the Exhibition I and Loge Peak high-speed quad lifts and a mid- mnuntain maintenance facility, all of which were approved under the 1994 Forest Service EAjDecision Notice. The second phase covered the remainder of the ski area as well as 175 acres of privately owned land at the base of Aspen Highlands. During this study, one possible sacred site was discovered but was not elegible for listing because of prior disrurbancc of the site. A Native American Consultant of the Southern Ute tribe concurred that there were nO noteworthy sites at Aspen Highlands. One previous survey and one previously recorded historic Section III Cultural ResolUces 33