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Decision Memo
D E C ISI O N M E M O
TAILOR L ODE
PR I V A T E R O A D P E R M I T
USD A F O R EST SE R V I C E
Dillon Ranger District of the W hite River National Forest
Summit County, Colorado
NW1/4 Section 35 and NE1/4 Section 34, Township 6 South, Range 78 West, 6th P.M.
Summit County, Colorado.
I. D E C ISI O N
I have decided to grant a Federal Land Policy and Management Act (FLPMA)
authorization for occupancy and use of an approximately 1,300 feet long driveway across
1)6 ODQGV WR DFFRPPRGDWH UHDVRQDEOH XVH DQG HQMR\PHQW RI WKH Tailor Lode ((MS
19959) a private land inholding in the White River National Forest located in the NW1/4
Section 35 and NE1/4 Section 34, Township 6 South, Range 78 West, 6th P.M. Summit
County, Colorado. (See Figure 1.) The proposed route makes use of the existing roads
and minimal new road construction.
This decision will be implemented through issuance of a special use authorization that
meets the requirements of the decision and Forest Service regulations. Forest Service
regulations require the applicant to: submit an operation and maintenance plan that
complies with the decision requirements; pay any necessary fees; post any necessary
bonds; and secure any state or federal permits or authorizations required by law.
Issuance of an access authorization would provide seasonal (during snow-free period),
vehicular access to the Parcel, and access via over-the-snow vehicle during the snow
period (as practical, and dependent upon snow conditions) and/or by skis/snowshoes, thus
enabling the owner to develop the Parcel as legally entitled. If the Proponent submits a
request for year-round maintenance of the road to accommodate snow removal and
winter wheeled vehicular use a separate NEPA analysis would be necessary before
granting year-round vehicular use.
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Decision Memo
Below is a description of the project and my rationale.
SU M M E R A C C ESS
Special Use A uthorization for F D R 995 and Peak 6 M aintenance Road
Access to the Parcel will vary depending on the time of year and whether or not snow is
present. During snow-free periods, access to and from the Parcel will follow Forest
DevelRSPHQW 5RDG )'5 IURP WKH *UHHQ *DWH DW WKH MXQFWLRQ RI 6NL +LOO 5RDG,
through the special use permit areas for the Breckenridge Nordic Center (BNC) and
Breckenridge Ski Resort (BSR), via the BSR Peak 6 maintenance road. Access will follow
this road to the top terminal of the Zendo Chair. From there, access will follow the new road
segment (see below) for approximately 1,300 feet to the Parcel. Total length of the snow-free
access route is approximately 10,050 feet from the beginning of FDR 995 to the Parcel.
Utilizing existing roads limits the amount of disturbance required for implementation of this
project. Coordination between the Forest Service, BSR, and the Breckenridge Nordic Center
has occurred throughout scoping and analysis, and will continue into implementation. The
Proponent, in conjunction with BSR and BNC, will adhere to the conditions set out in a Road
Use Agreement to be approved by the Forest Service for the joint use of the road. Road
maintenance on the existing road that extends from the bottom terminal of Kensho
SuperChair to the top terminal of Zendo Chair may occur as necessary for construction and
ongoing access in accordance with the Road Use Agreement. In the event that a situation
arises where additional road maintenance is contemplated, the Forest Service and the
Proponent would discuss solutions that are within the scope and scale of this decision.
W I N T E R A C C ESS
During the winter, access to and from the Parcel will occur via motorized over-the-snow
YHKLFOHVZKHQ%65VOLIWVDUHQRWRSHUDting for the general public, or non-motorized methods
during hours of lift operations for the general public, from Peak 7/8, following the
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Claimjumper, Monte Cristo, Lost Horizon and Delirium ski trails to the top terminal of the
Zendo Chairlift. It would then follow the route of the proposed road segment to the Parcel.
The length of the winter access route is approximately 7,120 feet from the base of Peak 7.
The use of over-the-VQRZYHKLFOHVZKHQ%65VOLIWVDUHQRWRSHUDWLQJIRUWKHJHQHUDOSXEOLF
eliminates the need to keep the summer access road clear of snow. Allowing only nonPRWRUL]HG DFFHVV GXULQJ %65V RSHUDWLRQDO KRXUV ZLOO SUHYHQW SRWHQWLDO XVHU FRQIOLFWV
between BSR guests/operations staff and those accessing the Parcel.
Access through the BNC LV SURKLELWHG ZKHQ %1&V WUDLOV DUH RSHUDWLQJ IRU WKH JHQHUDO
public.
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I I. B A C K G R O U N D
The land owner of the Tailor Lode (MS 19959) is requesting access to the property via the
*UHHQ*DWHRIIRI$PHULFDQ:D\LQ WKH3HDNQHLJKERUKRRGWKURugh the Breckenridge
Nordic Center and Breckenridge Ski Resort Special Use Permit boundaries. The property is
situated in the NW1/4 Section 35 and NE1/4 Section 34, T. 6 S., R. 78 W., 6th P.M. Summit
County, Colorado. (See Figure 1.) The private land inKROGLQJNQRZQDVWKH7DLORU/RGH
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(the Parcel) is approximately 10 acres in size and is entirely surrounded by National Forest
System (NFS) lands managed by the White River National Forest (WRNF).
7KH 3DUFHO LV ]RQHG DV %DFNFRXQWU\ E\ 6XPPLW &RXQW\ government, which allows for a
maximum of one dwelling unit per 20 acres. The dwelling size on the Parcel would be
limited to 1,200 square feet plus an accessory structure, per county regulations, unless
augmented through the appropriate county process at which time it could be increased to a
maximum of 2,400 square feet of living space plus an accessory structure, per county
regulations.
As indicated in the 2002 WRNF Land and Resource Management Plan (Forest Plan), NFS
lands surrounding the Parcel are within Management Area (MA) 8.25 Ski Area. Per MA
8.25, these areas are managed for intensively managed outdoor activities during all seasons
of the year and include areas with potential for future development. MA 8.25 allows for new
roads and trails that aUH GHVLJQHG WR PLQLPL]H YLVXDO DQG UHVRXUFH LPSDFWV 7KH\ DUH
FRQVWUXFWHGDQGPDLQWDLQHGZLWKJRRGDOLJQPHQWVDQGJUDGHVWKDWPLQLPL]HHURVLRQ
I V. R E ASO NS F O R C A T E G O R I C A L E X C L USI O N
I have concluded that this action can be categorically excluded from documentation in an
environmental impact statement or environmental assessment as it is a routine activity
within an approved category of exclusion under 36 CFR 220.6(e)(3): "Approval,
modification, or continuation of minor special uses of National Forest System lands that
require less than five contiguous acres of land, (e) Approving the installation of a
GULYHZD\ PDLOER[ RU RWKHU IDFLOLWLHV LQFLGHQWDO WR XVH RI D UHVLGHQFH There are no
extraordinary circumstances related to the decision that may result in a significant
individual or cumulative effect on the quality of the human environment. The following
resource conditions were considered as part of this analysis:
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(iv) Inventoried roadless areas and Research Natural Areas; The proposed
road does not occur in any inventoried roadless areas or Research Natural Areas,
and thus would have no effect on these types of areas.
(v) Research natural areas; The proposed road does not occur in Research
Natural Areas, and thus would have no effect on these types of areas.
(vi) American Indians and Alaska Native religious or cultural sites; There are
no known Native American religious or cultural sites, archeological sites, or
historic properties or areas. And,
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V. PU B L I C I N V O L V E M E N T
This project was first listed in the Schedule of Proposed Actions in September 2014. The
2SSRUWXQLW\WR&RPPHQWZDV published in the Glenwood Springs Post Independent in
November 26, 2014. A scoping letter describing the proposal was released for comment
on November 13, 2014 to interested or affected individuals and agencies. Five comment
letters were received. Issues raised included comments regarding:
x Minimizing disturbance associated with the project;
x Utilizing existing on-mountain infrastructure as much as possible; and
x Ensuring the adherence to Summit County requirements regarding backcountry
plowing.
In reaching my decision, I considered public comments, as well as input from Forest
Service resource specialists who analyzed the proposal. Forest Service Handbook
1909.15, Chapter 30.4 lists the seven resource conditions that should be considered in
determining whether "extraordinary circumstances" related to a proposed action warrant
further analysis in an EA or EIS. One of the categories is Federally listed Threatened or
Endangered species or designated critical habitat, species proposed for Federal listing or
proposed critical habitat, or Forest Service sensitive species. Consistent with law,
regulation and policy, these species were included in the wildlife BA report, which is
contained in the project file.
Alternate access to the Parcel was considered in detail throughout the analysis, including
various alignments of the new road segment. The selected alternative utilizes existing
access roads to the greatest extent possible and attempts to balance the amount of
disturbance required with erosion concerns associated with the new road segment. The
alignment follows a design grade of approximately 8 percent in order to prevent erosion
and to allow for sufficient access to the Parcel.
The Proponent will be required to adhere to Summit County zoning regulations and
obtain a building permit before proceeding. Additionally, development of the Parcel is
subject to administrative site plan review by the Summit County Planning Department,
including referrals and property posting.
V I. F I N D I N GS R E Q U I R E D B Y O T H E R L A WS
My decision will comply will all applicable laws and regulations. I have summarized
pertinent ones below.
Federal Land Policy and Management Act the regulations at 36 CFR 251 guide the
issuance of permits under this Act. Permits are granted across National Forest System
Lands when the need for such is consistent with planned uses and Forest Service policy
and regulations. This decision is consistent with the Act.
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Forest Plan Consistency (National Forest Management Act) This decision is consistent
with the White River National Forest Resource Management Plan 2002 Revision
(Forest Plan) as required by the National Forest Management Act. The project is in
conformance with forest-wide standards and guidelines and Management Area Direction,
including that contained under the 8.25 Ski Area are managed for intensively managed
outdoor activities during all seasons of the year and includes areas with potential for
future development.. (See Chapter II of the White River Land and Resource Management
Plan, 2002 Revision).
This decision is intended to respond to the following Forest Plan Goals and Objectives:
Goal 2 Multiple Benefits to People. Provide a variety of uses, products, and services
for present and future generations by managing within the capability of sustainable
ecosystems.
Objective 2c - Improve the capability of national forests and rangelands to sustain
desired uses, values, products, and services.
Strategy 2c.11 - Over the life of the plan, approve special-use proposals that are
consistent with desired conditions, standards, and guidelines.
Endangered Species Act 6HH )LQGLQJV RI 1R ([WUDRUGLQDU\ &LUFXPVWDQFHV VHFWLRQ
above. The project complies with ESA Section 7 consultation requirements.
Clean Water Act - This Act is to restore and maintain the integrity of waters. The Forest
Service complies with this Act through the use of Watershed Conservation Practices.
This decision incorporates Watershed Conservation Practices to ensure protection of soil
and water resources.
Wetlands (Executive Order 11990) - See )LQGLQJVRI1R([WUDRUGLQDU\&LUFXPVWDQFHV
section above.
Floodplains (Executive Order 11988) - 6HH )LQGLQJV RI 1R ([WUDRUGLQDU\
&LUFXPVWDQFHVVHFWLRQDERYH
Federal Cave Resources Protection Act - This Act is to secure, protect, preserve, and
maintain significant caves, to the extent practical. There are no known caves in the
project area. This decision will have no impacts to cave resources.
Native American Graves Protection and Repatriation Act 6HH )LQGLQJV RI 1R
([WUDRUGLQDU\ &LUFXPVWDQFHV section above. This act requires that if inadvertent
discovery of Native America Remains or Objects occurs, activity must cease in the area
of discovery, a reasonable effort made to protect the item(s) discovered, and immediate
notice made to the Authorized Officer, as well as the appropriate Native American
group(s).
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V I I.
A D M I N IST R A T I V E
O PP O R T U N I T I T I ES
REVIEW
OR
A PP E A L
The approved activities within this decision are not subject to appeal in accordance with
the Consolidated Appropriations Act of 2014, Pub. L. No. 113-76, 128 Stat. 5 (2014).
Section 431 of the Act directs that the 1993 and 2012 legislation establishing the 36 CFR
215 (post-GHFLVLRQDODSSHDOVVKDOOQRWapply to any project or activity implementing
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1DWLRQDO(QYLURQPHQWDO3ROLF\$FW1(3$
This decision may be appealed under 36 CFR 251.80 Subpart C for those who those who
hold or, in certain instances, those who apply for written authorizations to occupy and use
National Forest System lands relevant to this decision.
V I I I. I M P L E M E N T A T I O N D A T E
This project will be implemented following ESA concurrence from USFWS, and in
accordance with previously identified Management Requirements and BMPs.
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