PELICAN BUTTE SKI AREA
MASTER DEVELOPMENT PLAN
In October of 1996, the Winema National Forest received a proposed Master Development Plan from the Pelican Butte Corporation for development of a winter recreation area, with limited summer uses, at Pelican Butte. In response, the Forest Service was required to prepare an Environmental Impact Statement to assess the potential impacts of that proposal and alternative development proposals.
On November 13, 2000 the Forest Service issued a Final Environmental Impact Statement on a new rule for Roadless Area Conservation. Since a portion of the proposed Pelican Butte Ski Area is within an Inventoried Roadless Area, the development of the Pelican Butte Ski Area Proposal may be affected. Specifically, the FEIS for the Roadless Area Conservation Rule has this to say:
Volume 3 - Response to Public Comments - Page 115:"b. Inside Inventoried Roadless Areas, Outside Permit Boundary. New ski areas, or expansions of existing ski areas outside existing special use permit boundaries, in inventoried roadless areas may or may not be subject to prohibitions; it would depend on the type of project and method of construction. New ski areas, such as the proposed Pelican Butte Ski Area, would most likely require new roads for their infrastructure within inventoried roadless areas. If roads are required, the proposed ski area would be subject to the prohibitions, and road construction would not be allowed. Opportunities for future ski areas or ski area expansion would most likely occur outside inventoried roadless areas on National Forest System land, on other Federal, State, or local government land, or on private real estate."
Development of the EIS has stopped and the Notice of Intent to prepare the EIS was recinded in the Federal Register on December 6, 2001:
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DEPARTMENT OF AGRICULTURE Forest Service |
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Master Development Plan for Pelican Butte Ski Area, Winema National Forest, Klamath County, OR AGENCY: Forest Service, USDA ACTION: Cancellation Notice. SUMMARY: On October 18, 1996, a Notice of Intent (NOI) to prepare an environmental impact statement for the Master Development Plan For Pelican Butte Ski Area, was published in the Federal Register (61 FR 54410). The 1996 NOI is hereby recinded. FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Charles Graham, Forest Supervisor, Winema National Forest, 2819 Dahlia Street, Klamath Falls, Oregon 97601, telephone 541-883-6736
Dated: November 29, 2001. Jack B. Sheehan, |