Preliminary Decision Memo

Transcription

1 Preliminary Decision Memo USDA Forest Service Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Snoqualmie Ranger District Kittitas County, Washington Pacific Crest Chairlift Enhancement Background It is my decision to improve the loading and unloading areas of the Pacific Crest Chairlift at the Summit at Snoqualmie Chairlift. This project will facilitate skier loading and unloading thereby improving the recreation experience for skiers. The improvements will reduce lift service interruptions, improve ADA access and implement the Forest Plan. The project and my decision are described in detail below. Purpose and Need The purpose and need for action is based on the existing conditions at The Summit-at- Snoqualmie and the desired conditions that lead to a proposed action. 1. There is a need for guest services in a location that provides a convenient, safe, and accessible recreation experience to ski area users. The existing Pacific Crest Chairlift is a key lift servicing the ski area s main base facilities. As a result of its location, the lift experiences high volumes of use. Any loading or unloading incidents causing service interruptions reduces uphill access and the recreation experience of other users. There is a need to improve the loading and unloading areas to facilitate uphill access and reduce service interruptions. Proposed Action Conduct grading and re-contouring and a new ramp at the top terminal to accommodate guest unloading as shown on the enclosed map. Install a conveyor directly beneath the loading area to deliver guests to the loading area as shown on the enclosed map. The total area of ground disturbance could be a maximum of 1 acre (0.5 acre at each lift terminal). However, it is anticipated that the actual area of disturbance will be less than that. Page 1 of 6

2 Location The Summit-at-Snoqualmie ski area is located on Snoqualmie Pass in the Cascade Mountain Range of western Washington, approximately 25 miles east of North Bend, Washington (T22N R11E Section 4). The Summit-at-Snoqualmie Special Use Permit Area encompasses approximately 1,834 acres of National Forest System (NFS) lands. These acres are on the Snoqualmie Ranger District of the Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest and Cle Elum Ranger District of the Okanogan-Wenatchee National Forest. Decision and Rationale It is my decision to improve the loading and unloading areas of the Pacific Crest Chairlift at the Summit at Snoqualmie Chairlift. This project meets the purpose and need for action described above because it will facilitate skier loading and unloading thereby improving the recreation experience for skiers. The improvements will also reduce lift service interruptions, improve ADA access and implement the Forest Plan. Management Requirements and Mitigation Measures All applicable mitigations from the attached Appendix A Table ROD-A-1 from the Summit at Snoqualmie Master Development Plan Record of Decision apply to this decision. Reasons for Categorically Excluding the Action from Additional Documentation Specific actions may be categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental assessment (EA) or environmental impact statement (EIS). Agency policy at 36 CFR states that a proposed action may be categorically excluded from documentation only if the action is within a category listed in 36 CFR (d) or (e); and there are no extraordinary circumstances related to the decision that may result in significant individual or cumulative environmental effects. This action is categorically excluded from documentation in an environmental impact statement or an environmental assessment because it fits a Categorical Exclusion and Decision Memo under Code of Federal Regulation, Title 36, Section 220 (e) Category (3): Approval, modification, or continuation of minor special uses of NFS lands that require less than five contiguous acres of land and there are no extraordinary circumstances that might cause this action to have a significant effect on the quality of the human environment, individually or cumulatively. Finding of No Extraordinary Circumstances I have determined that there are no extraordinary circumstances related to the decision that may result in a significant individual or cumulative environmental effect (as defined in 36 CFR 220.6). My determination is based on interdisciplinary team review and analysis, and documents Page 2 of 6

3 in the Project Record, as summarized below for each resource condition. Further details are contained in the Specialist Reports, biological evaluations, and biological assessments in the Project Record. a. Federally listed threatened or endangered species or designated critical habitat, species proposed for Federal listing or proposed critical habitat, or Forest Service sensitive species The effect determinations for federally listed fish and designated critical habitats are No Effect for PS Chinook, steelhead, and bull trout, and for existing designated Chinook and bull trout critical habitats. The project would also have No Effect on MCR steelhead or CR bull trout, or for their respective designated critical habitats. For Chinook, coho, and pink salmon Essential Fish Habitats, the effect determinations are Would Not Adversely Affect. For Forest Service Region 6 Sensitive Species, proposed project activities would have No Impact on coho, coastal cutthroat, Baker River sockeye, river lamprey, pygmy whitefish, or Umatilla dace. While there are no specific effect calls for management indicator species, proposed project activities would not affect the forestwide viability of these populations, nor would they have a measurable negative effect to the quality or quantity of habitats for resident or adfluvial fish in upper South Fork Snoqualmie River, Coal Creek or Keechelus Lake, or to anadromous fish or their habitats downstream of Snoqualmie Falls or in the Yakima River downstream of Keechelus Lake b. Floodplains, wetlands, or municipal watersheds The project is not located within a municipal watershed or on floodplains or jurisdictional wetlands. c. Congressionally designated areas, such as wilderness, wilderness study areas, or National Recreation Areas The project is not located in any wilderness, wilderness study areas, or National Recreation Area. d. Inventoried Roadless Area or potential wilderness area The project is not located in an Inventoried Roadless Area or potential wilderness area. e. Research Natural Areas The project is not located within a Research Natural Areas. f. American Indians and Alaskan Native religious or cultural sites The project will not adversely affect any known American Indian religious or cultural sacred sites, or have any effect on the exercise of treaty-reserved hunting, fishing, or gathering rights. The Federal government has trust responsibilities to Tribes under a government-togovernment relationship to ensure that the Tribes reserved rights are protected. Consultation with Tribes helps ensure that these trust responsibilities are met. The Forest consulted with three potentially affected Tribes (6/13/12), and no issues were determined by the Heritage Specialist (6/4/12). Page 3 of 6

4 Public Involvement and Tribal Consultation The Mt. Baker Snoqualmie National Forest solicited public involvement on the proposed action by sending a scoping letter on June 15, 2012 to interested or potentially affected individuals, organizations, and other government agencies. Findings Required by Other Laws and Regulations This decision is consistent with: National Historic Preservation Act, American Indian Religious Freedom Act, and Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act: This decision complies with the cited acts based on the discussion above. An appropriate cultural inventory has been conducted for this undertaking, and no properties potentially eligible for the National Register of Historic Places have been located; therefore the undertakings meet the criteria given in Stipulation III.B.1 of the 1997 Programmatic Agreement. The State Historic Preservation Officer will be notified of this project. Endangered Species Act: My decision complies with the Act. For findings on threatened, endangered, or Sensitive species, see the Finding of No Extraordinary Circumstances section (above). National Forest Management Act: I find this decision to be consistent with the requirements of the National Forest Management Act (USC 1604(g)(3)(E)) and its implementing regulations (36 CFR 219). The project was designed in conformance with the Land and Resource Management Plan (LRMP) for the Mount Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, as amended (USDA, USDI 1994, 2001, 2004). See the Hydrology Specialist Report in the Project Record for more information. Clean Water Act: By implementing mitigation measures above, this project will comply with the Clean Water Act and Executive Orders and and related State water quality requirements. Refer to the Fisheries Specialist Report in the Project Record for analysis and determination that Aquatic Conservation Strategy Objectives would be met. Environmental Justice: The proposed action was assessed to determine whether it would disproportionately impact minority or low-income populations, in accordance with Executive Order No impacts to minority or low-income populations were identified during project scoping or effects analysis. National Environmental Policy Act: This Act requires public involvement and consideration of potential environmental effects. The Project Record supports compliance with this Act as does this Decision Memo. Magnuson-Stevens Act: This project will have No Effect on Chinook, bull trout, steelhead, or to designated Chinook and bull trout critical habitats. For Chinook, coho, and pink salmon Essential Fish Habitats, the effect determinations are Would Not Adversely Affect. For Forest Service Region 6 Sensitive Species, proposed project activities would have No Impact on coho, anadromous or resident coastal cutthroat, or Baker River sockeye. Page 4 of 6

5 Administrative Review or Appeal Opportunities In light of a recent court ruling (Sequoia ForestKeeper v. Tidwell, 11-cv LJO-DLB (E.D. Cal.)), the Forest Service will provide public notice, comment, and opportunity for administrative appeal for projects and activities documented with a Decision Memo (36 CFR 220.6(e)) until new instructions are issued by the Washington Office, or the Agency issues regulations addressing the Court s ruling. Only those who provide comment or express interest in this proposal during this comment period will be eligible to appeal the decision pursuant to 36 CFR part 215 regulations. Written, facsimile, hand-delivered, oral, and electronic comments concerning this action will be accepted for 30 calendar days following the publication of this notice in the Everett Herald, the newspaper of record. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period. Those wishing to comment should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source. The regulations prohibit extending the length of the comment period. It is the responsibility of persons providing comments to submit them by the close of the comment period. Written comments must be submitted to: Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 3A, Everett, WA The office business hours for those submitting handdelivered comments are: 7:30 4:30 Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Oral comments can be provided at the Responsible Official s office during normal business hours by telephone ( ), or in person. Electronic comments must be submitted in a format such as an message, plain text (.txt), rich text format (.rtf),.pdf, or Word (.doc) to: comments-pacificnorthwest-mtbaker-snoqualmie-snoqualmie@fs.fed.us. In cases where no identifiable name is attached to a comment, a verification of identity will be required for appeal eligibility. A scanned signature is one way to provide verification. Individuals and organizations wishing to be eligible to appeal must meet the information requirements of 36 CFR Implementation Date Implementation of project activities is expected to begin immediately upon the date of my decision. Contact For additional information concerning this decision or the Forest Service appeal process, contact project Team Leader: Sean Wetterberg, Winter Sports Specialist, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest, 2930 Wetmore Avenue, Suite 3A, Everett, WA 98201, telephone (425) , fax (425) ; comments may be sent to swetterberg@fs.fed.us Page 5 of 6

6 Jennifer Eberlein Forest Supervisor Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest Date Page 6 of 6