Industry News
Monarch Mountain in Colorado has submitted a plan to the USDA Forest Service outlining plans to extend the ski area accessible by lift by 377-acres, to 1,146-acres. The plan includes the installation of a 2,700-foot fixed grip chairlift, the development of 62-acres of cleared terrain and 75-acres of gladed terrain, and the construction of a warming hut and restrooms at the base of the new lift.
The area in question is the No Name Basin area, which is currently only accessible by snow cat.
According to LiftBlog, the new chairlift will be the first at Monarch Mountain, CO, in almost 25-years.
All the details of can be found online where the Forest Service is requesting public comment.
NOTICE OF OPPORTUNITY TO COMMENT
Monarch Mountain No Name Basin Projects
USDA Forest Service
Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimmaron and Comanche National Grasslands Salida & Gunnison Ranger Districts
Gunnison County, Colorado
Opportunity to Comment on the Monarch Mountain No Name Basin Projects
The Pike-San Isabel National Forests & Cimmaron and Comanche National Grasslands (PSICC) and the Grand Mesa, Uncompahgre, and Gunnison National Forests (GMUG) are preparing an environmental assessment (EA) to review the proposed No Name Basin Projects at Monarch Mountain (Monarch). The proposed projects are located immediately adjacent to Monarch’s existing special use permit (SUP) area within the GMUG.
The Forest Service is the lead federal agency for NEPA compliance, review, and approval concerning the EA. The responsible official for this project is the PSICC Forest and Grassland Supervisor through a delegation of authority by the GMUG Forest Supervisor. The PSICC currently manages Monarch’s SUP and will be the lead Forest Service unit responsible for the analysis, public engagement process, acceptance of the NEPA analysis, and drafting the decision document. To make a decision, the responsible official will review the EA, purpose and need for action, proposed action (and other potential alternatives), all public comments, and the administrative record. The responsible official will determine whether or not to approve all or part of the proposal, including:
- Expansion of Monarch’s SUP area from 769 acres to 1,146 acres to include No Name Basin;
- Construction of a new 2,700-feet-long fixed grip chairlift, with a carrier size of up to four people;
- Construction of an up to 8,600-feet-long permanent access road from the existing SUP area to the bottom terminal of the proposed chairlift;
- Development of approximately 62 acres of traditionally cleared terrain and 75 acres of gladed terrain, including low intermediate, intermediate, and advanced- intermediate terrain;
- Construction of a warming hut and restroom adjacent to the bottom terminal of the proposed chairlift; and
- Realignment of approximately 700 feet of the Continental Divide National Scenic Trail.
The purpose of and need for the project is established by the Forest Service’s responsibility to respond to proposals to develop, maintain, and revise land use plans on National Forest System lands under the Federal Land Policy and Management Act.
A notice of proposed action with project details is available for review online at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=61373. Additional information regarding this action can be obtained from Forest Service project leader Don Dressler at donald.dressler@usda.gov or by phone at (720) 391-0626.
How to Comment and Timeframe
To inform the public of the project and answer questions, a public open house will be held on October 4, 2023, at the Chaffee County Fairgrounds and Event Center (Exhibit Hall), 10165 County Rd 120, Poncha Springs, CO 81201, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m. An additional open house will be held on October 5, 2023, at the Gunnison County Public Library, 1 Quartz St, Gunnison, CO 81230, from 6:00 to 8:00 p.m.
The proposed project is an activity implementing a land management plan and subject to the objection process described in 36 CFR 218 Subparts A and B. The Forest Service is combining scoping with the legal notice and opportunity to comment, consistent with §218.24. The public is encouraged to provide specific written comments (§218.2) on this proposal, including supporting reasons for the responsible official to consider. Specific written comments should be within the scope of and have a direct relationship to the proposed action.
Specific written comments on the proposed project will be accepted for 30 calendar days following the publication of a legal notice in the Pueblo Chieftain, on September 22, 2023. The publication date in the newspaper of record is the exclusive means for calculating the comment period duration.
Written comments must be submitted by:
Mail: Don Dressler, c/o Perry Edwards Forest Service, Salida Ranger District 5575 Cleora Rd Salida, CO 81201
Electronic: https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public//CommentInput?Project=61373
Note: The name and mailing address of the person submitting electronic comments must be included.
It is the responsibility of persons providing comments to submit them by the close of the comment period. Only those who submit timely and specific written comments will have eligibility to file an objection under CFR 36 § 218.8. For objection eligibility, each individual or representative from each entity submitting timely and specific comments must either sign the comment or verify identify upon request. Individuals and organizations wishing to be eligible to object must meet the information requirements in CFR 36 § 218.25(a)(3). Names and contact information submitted with comments will become part of the public record and may be released under the Freedom of Information Act. Electronic formats accepted include email, PDF, word documents, spreadsheets, most images, etc.
This legal notice also serves to notify and invite public comment on the proposal as stipulated in 36 CFR 800.3 of the National Historic Preservation Act (NHPA).
The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) is an equal opportunity provider and employer.
