The U.S. Forest Service and Bureau of Land Management issued notice this week that people interested in commenting on Sun Valley Co.'s proposed master development plan for the Bald Mountain ski area need to submit their comments by mid-October.
Joe Miczulski, project leader for the Ketchum Ranger District, said mid-October is the end of the second comment period for the proposed development plan. The plan—which is technically an update to Sun Valley's existing mountain master plan—proposes a new gondola, new ski runs, new snowmaking and several other improvements to the ski area's facilities.
The first phase of the three-phase plan includes:
· Constructing a new expert trail on Guyer Ridge, located immediately west of the existing ski area boundary. The trail would run from International ski run along the ridgeline and into Cozy ski run, requiring a boundary adjustment and cutting and filling of the landscape.
· Realigning and grading Olympic Lane.
· Constructing a new intermediate ski trail on Seattle Ridge.
· Gaining approval to use existing snowmaking facilities in the Frenchman's Gulch area.
· Installing new snowmaking facilities on Olympic Lane, Roundhouse Slope, Upper and Lower Broadway, Guyer Ridge, Upper Cozy, Upper Hemingway, Christmas Bowl and Brick's Island ski runs.
· Installing a gondola from River Run to the Roundhouse restaurant and removing the Exhibition triple chair lift.
· Remodeling the Roundhouse building and expanding its operating period.
· Developing a terrain park on Lower Greyhawk, in the Warm Springs area.
The proposed Guyer Ridge ski trail has garnered attention from the public, with some area residents expressing concern that it will have significant environmental impacts.
"We need to move ahead with the planning process," Miczulski said. "Comments from the public are very important to this process."
Miczulski stressed that his office needs to receive comments as soon as possible so they can be used by the Forest Service and Sun Valley's contractor to design a "study plan" for a draft environmental impact statement that analyzes the proposal.
SE Group, of Frisco, Colo., is the contractor working for Sun Valley Co. to prepare the draft EIS.
"They along with Forest Service and BLM personnel will review and analyze all comments received during both the first and second scoping periods," Miczulski said.
Miczulski said the Forest Service expects to design the study plan for the draft EIS—based on issues raised by the public and the Forest Service resource specialist's knowledge of the area—by the end of October.
For people who did not receive the Forest Service's notice alerting the public about the second scoping period for Phase 1 projects in the Sun Valley master plan, copies are available from the Ketchum Ranger Station. Call 622-5371.
The first comment period closed earlier this year.
Copies of the complete August 2005 master development plan accepted by the Forest Service are available for review in a variety of formats. A paper copy of the plan is available for review at the Ketchum Ranger Station, 206 Sun Valley Road, in Ketchum. Copies of the plan are also available on compact disc.
The scoping notice and the plan are also available for viewing on the World Wide Web at www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth.
"Once the study plan is completed, we expect the environmental analysis for a draft EIS will take nine to 12 months to complete," Miczulski said.
A final decision on the proposed Phase 1 projects is expected prior to December 2007.
Review Plan
Copies of the complete August 2005 Bald Mountain master development plan accepted by the Forest Service are available for review in a variety of formats. A paper copy of the plan is available for review at the Ketchum Ranger Station, 206 Sun Valley Road, in Ketchum. Copies of the plan are also available on compact disc. The scoping notice and the plan are also available for viewing on the World Wide Web at www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth.
Bald Mountain, Sun Valley Resort's primary ski mountain, received a dusting of snow this week. The resort is proposing to implement a plan that would improve and expand the ski area's facilities over the next 10 years. Photo by David N. Seelig
