[Federal Register: November 29, 2006 (Volume 71, Number 229)]
[Notices]
[Page 69097-69099]
From the Federal Register Online via GPO Access [wais.access.gpo.gov]
[DOCID:fr29no06-20]
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE
Forest Service
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit, California, South Tahoe
Greenway Multi-Use Trail Project
AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA.
ACTION: Notice of intent to prepare an environmental impact statement.
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SUMMARY: The South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use Trail is a California Tahoe
Conservancy (Conservancy) proposed Class I or better trail that will
link Meyers, California to Stateline, Nevada, generally following the
former Caltrans U.S. Highway 50 Bypass Corridor. The trail will form
the backbone of the bike trail network in South Lake Tahoe and line
residential and lodging uses to jobs, schools, shopping, and recreation
and community areas. The trail implements specific goals and policies
of the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA), the USDA Forest Service
Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit (USFS), and Conservancy to provide a
non-motorized alternative transportation corridor through South Lake
Tahoe. Approximately 0.5 mile of the trail corridor will cross National
Forest lands in approximately six locations.
DATES: Comments concerning the scope of the analysis must be received
by December 20, 2006. The Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS)
is expected by summer 2007 and the Final Environmental Impact Statement
(FEIS) is expected by fall/winter 2007.
ADDRESSES: Send written comments to: Ray Lacey, Program Coordinator,
California Tahoe Conservancy, 1061 Third Street, South Lake Tahoe,
California, 96150, e-mail: rlacey@tahoecons.ca.gov.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Matt Dickinson, NEPA Coordinator, Lake
Tahoe Basin Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA
96150, Mattdickinson@fs.fed.us, (530) 543-2769; or Lisa O'Daly,
Recreation Program Manager, Tahoe Regional Planning Agency, P.O. Box
5310, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV 89449, lodaly@trpa.org, (775)
589-5242.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: Purpose and need for action: Complete
accessible and continuous multi-use trail from the existing Class I
trail in Meyers, California to Stateline, Nevada
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that establishes a convenient non-auto transportation alternative and
high quality recreational experience for residents and visitors. The
South Shore roadway network suffers from excessive traffic congestion
and the resulting degradation of air quality The South Shore also lacks
continuous Class I facilities for bicycles and pedestrians that provide
high quality recreational opportunities. The Tahoe Regional Planning
Agency (TRPA) Regional Transportation Plan/Air Quality Plan identifies
the unconstructed State Route 50 right-of-way as an opportunity for
development of a portion of the bicycle and pedestrian network to
reduce dependence on private autos and improve air quality.
Proposed action: The Conservancy is proposing to construct a 9.6-
mile long multi-purpose trail that will provide residents and visitors
with a non-motorized, alternative transportation corridor from Meyers,
California (near the intersection of U.S. Highway 50 and Pioneer Trail)
to Stateline, Nevada (near the proposed Van Sickle Bi-State Park). The
South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use Trail will generally follow the former
Caltrans U.S. Highway 50 Bypass Corridor and will also utilize other
publicly (including National Forest) and privately owned lands.
Possible alternatives: Potential alternatives include the
following: (1) Use of the new El Dorado County Sawmill Trail (located
west of U.S. Highway 50) from Meyers to the intersection of Meadowvale
or Elks Club and U.S. Highway 50; (2) Use of the U.S. Highway 50
corridor from Pioneer Trail to near Kyburz Avenue, bending around the
north side of the Lake Tahoe Airport and crossing back east toward the
South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use trail corridor through Barton Meadow and
over the Upper Truckee River on private property; (3) Use of
alternative trail design measures (e.g., boardwalks, bridges, porous
paving materials) to reduce or eliminate effects to sensitive
resources; (4) Use of Pioneer Trail right of way from the South Tahoe
Greenway Multi-Use Trail's crossing location at Pioneer Trail to Ski
Run Boulevard, then using Ski Run Boulevard, connecting back to the
South Tahoe Greenway; (5) Use of Pioneer Trail right-of-way from Ski
Run Boulevard to the trail's terminus at U.S. Highway 50; and (6)
maximize use of the former U.S. Highway 50 bypass right-of-way in the
Sunset Stables project area located east of the Lake Tahoe Airport by
locating the trail in the eastern-most forested area of the Sunset
Stables project and at a higher elevation to allow for greater
flexibility during future Conservancy design of the Sunset Stables
river restoration project.
Lead, Joint Lead, and Cooperating Agencies: The Conservancy is
planning to construct the South Tahoe Greenway Multi-Use Trail. The
Conservancy, USFS, and TRPA are preparing a joint Environmental Impact
Report (EIR)/Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to inform agency
decision makers about the potential environmental effects of the
project. This joint document will serve as an EIR prepared by the
Conservancy (lead CEQA agency) pursuant to the California Environmental
Quality Act (CEQA); an EIS prepared by the USFS (lead federal agency)
pursuant to the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA); and an EIS
prepared by TRPA pursuant to its regulations.
Responsible Official and Mailing Address: For Forest Service
Decision, Terri Marceron, Forest Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin
Management Unit, 35 College Drive, South Lake Tahoe, CA 96150 is the
responsible official.
Decision to Be Made: The decision to be made is whether to
construct a Class I trail on approximately \1/2\ mile of National
Forest System land in conjunction with construction of a Class I trail
along the U.S. Highway 50 right-of-way as described in the proposed
action, to implement another combination of activities which meets the
purpose and need for action, or to take no action at this time.
Scoping Process: Public scoping began with the publication of this
Notice of Intent in the Federal Register. Notice of the preparation of
the environmental documentation is also being published in a local
newspaper (Tahoe Daily Tribune) and mailed to adjacent property owners.
Public scoping opportunities with agency staff will be provided on the
following dates: The City of South Lake Tahoe will provide an
opportunity for public input at their Council hearing on Tuesday,
November 28 beginning at 9 a.m. at the Lake Tahoe Airport, 1901 Airport
Road, South Lake Tahoe, CA; and the TRPA will hold a public scoping
hearing before their Hearings Officer on December 14 beginning at 2
p.m. at the TRPA offices, 128 Market Street, Stateline, NV. The Forest
Service will accept comments at these public meetings.
Preliminary Issues: During preparation of the Multi-Use Trail
Preliminary Concept Plans, the following issues were identified:
Disturbance of stream environment zone and the Upper Truckee River
floodplain from new trail construction; potential water quality
degradation from runoff and erosion from new trail creation; wildlife
habitat environmental effects from direct habitat removal and potential
habitat degradation from increased visitation to the project area;
effects to sensitive vegetation communities and loss of ``old growth''
trees as defined by the TRPA Code of Ordinances; effects to scenic
quality along scenic highways and at the Pioneer Trail roadway
crossing; conflicts (e.g., public safety and traffic flow) with
vehicular circulation in neighborhood areas and at roadway
intersections; consistency with public safety plans and policies, such
as the Lake Tahoe Airport Comprehensive Land Use Plan; consistency with
the Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit Forest Plan; and consistency with
the goals of the Conservancy Sunset Stables Restoration and Resource
Management Plan Project.
Identification of Permits or Licenses Required: The TRPA,
California Department of Fish and Game, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers
and California Regional Water Quality Control Board, Lahontan Region
may issue project specific permits for trail segments within the Lake
Tahoe Region.
Comment Requested: This notice of intent initiates the scoping
process that guides the development of the environmental impact
statement. The Forest Service would like to know the views of
interested persons, organizations, and agencies as to the scope and
content of the information to be included and analyzed in the DEIS.
Agencies should comment on the elements of the environmental
information that are relevant to their statutory responsibilities in
connection with the proposed alternatives. Comments must be received by
December 20, 2006.
Person to Which Comments may be Mailed: Send written comments to:
Ray Lacey, Program Coordinator, California Tahoe Conservancy, 1061
Third Street, South Lake Tahoe, California, 96150, e-mail:
rlacey@tahoecons.ca.gov.
Early Notice of Importance of Public Participation in Subsequent
Environmental Review: There will be additional opportunities to comment
on this project in addition to this scoping period. When the DEIS is
released there will be a 45 day comment period from the date the
Environmental Protection Agency publishes the notice of availability of
the DEIS in the Federal Register.
The Forest Service believes, at this early stage, it is important
to give reviewers notice of several court rulings related to public
participation in the environmental review process. First,
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reviewers of draft statements must structure their participation in the
environmental review of the proposal so that it is meaningful and
alerts an agency to the reviewer's position and contentions. Vermont
Yankee Nuclear Power Corp. v. NRDC, 435 U.S. 519, 553 (1978). Also,
environmental objections that could be raised at the draft
environmental impact statement stage but that are not raised until
after completion of final environmental impact statement may be waived
or dismissed by the courts. City of Angoon v. Hodel, 803 F.2d 1016,
1022 (9th Cir. 1986) and Wisconsin Heritages, Inc. v. Harris, 490 F.
Supp. 1334, 1338 (E.D. Wis. 1980). Because of these court rulings, it
is very important that those interested in this proposed action
participate by the close of the 45 day comment period so that
substantive comments and objections are made available to the Forest
Service at a time when it can meaningfully consider them and respond to
them in the final environmental impact statement.
To assist the Forest Service in identifying and considering issues
and concerns on the proposed action, comments on the draft
environmental impact statement should be as specific as possible. It is
also helpful if comments refer to specific pages or chapters of the
draft statement. Comments may also address the adequacy of the draft
environmental impact statement or the merits of the alternatives
formulated and discussed in the statement. Reviewers may wish to refer
to the Council on Environmental Quality Regulations for implementing
the procedural provisions of the National Environmental Policy Act at
40 CFR 1503.3 in addressing these points.
Comments received, including the names and addresses of those who
comment, will be considered part of the public record on this proposal
and will be available for public inspection.
(Authority: 40 CFR 1501.7 and 1508.22; Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Section 21).
Dated: November 21, 2006.
Nancy J. Gibson,
Acting Deputy Forest Supervisor, Lake Tahoe Basin Management Unit.
[FR Doc. 06-9444 Filed 11-28-06; 8:45 am]
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