Draft Environmental Impact Statement for Arizona Snowbowl Facilities Improvement

The Coconino National Forest has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement for the Arizona Snowbowl Improvement project.

The Preferred Alternative described in the document proposes to create snowmaking on 205 acres of skiable terrain at the ski area, using reclaimed water from the City of Flagstaff. It also proposes adding one new chairlift and four surface lifts; realigning and/or lengthening three of the current chairlifts; creating 74 acres of new ski runs; creating a snowplay/tubing area and associated infrastructure; creating a snowboarding halfpipe; and improving the ski area’s service facilities and resort infrastructure. All of the proposed improvements would occur entirely within the 777-acre ski area.

“We are at an important point in this process, which is a disclosure of the environmental and social effects related to a range of alternatives,” said Gene Waldrip, District Ranger of the Peaks Ranger District. “Public response to this Draft Environmental Impact Statement is crucial to making a final decision.”

Public Comments

The DEIS for the Snowbowl Improvement project will enter a 60-day public comment period as soon as the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency publishes a notice of availability regarding the DEIS in the Federal Register. Nora Rasure, Supervisor of the Coconino National Forest, has extended the comment period from 45 days to 60 days. The purpose of this period is to allow the public an opportunity to review the DEIS and submit comments to it. Comments may express agreement or disagreement with the analysis and conclusions in the document. However, to be considered substantive (useful), comments should express the writer’s rationale for their position.

Flash: The comment period is over. Thank you all for your submitting your comments.

The Entire Document

These documents are available here only as Adobe Acrobat PDF files. (Adobe Acrobat Reader needed). The entire document is contained here in these 10 sections: Click the section for the .pdf file.

• Section 1 - 961 kb .pdf file consisting of Title Pages and Executive Summary, 20 pages
• Section 2 - 402 kb. pdf file consisting of Table of Contents and Lists of attachments. Click on "figures" that are encompassed by a rectangle to access the attachment, 12 pages
• Section 3 - 552 kb. pdf file consisting of Chapter 1, 23 pages
• Section 4 - 743 kb. pdf file consisting of Chapter 2, 61 pages
• Section 5 -1 mb. pdf file consisting of Chapter 3, 125 pages
• Section 6 - 839 kb. pdf file consisting of Chapter 3 beginning with page 3-125, 215 pages
• Section 7 - 487 kb. pdf file consisting of Chapter 4, 14 pages
• Section 8 - 701 kb. pdf files consisting of Appendices, 17 pages
• Section 9 - 754 kb. pdf files consisting of Index, 20 pages
• Section 10 - 391 kb. pdf files consisting of Glossary, 16 pages

For high-speed internet connections, please click here for 15 megabyte zipped .pdf file of the complete document.

Links

Snowbowl Final EIS

Photos

Frequently asked Questions

News Releases:

Feb. 2nd

Feb. 23rd