[Council Communication] [Summary of Recommendations] [City's Role w/ Watershed]

Council Communication

Title:	Mount Ashland Draft Environmental Impact Statement.
Dept:	Administration
Date:	September 17, 2003
Submitted By:	Gino Grimaldi, City Administrator
Approved By: ...........................	Gino Grimaldi, City Administrator

Synopsis:	The Forest Service has released the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) for the Mt. Ashland Ski Area Expansion. The DEIS is available for a 90-day comment period that began on July 25, 2003. The Mayor and City Council have directed staff to review the DEIS with a focus on four areas: water quality, water quantity, fire and financial risk. The results of the review are presented in the attached documents. Staff is presenting 19 comments and recommendations for the review and consideration of the City Council.
Recommendation:	It is recommend that the comments and recommendations included in the attached documents be forwarded to the Forest Service as comments to the DEIS and that staff be directed to proceed with implementing several recommendations that are not part of the DEIS. No action is requested at this time. The City Council is scheduled to take action on the proposed comments and recommendations at the October 7, 2003 City Council meeting.
Fiscal Impact:	None.
Background:	The proposed comments and recommendations, if implemented, are designed to provide reasonable assurance that the expansion of the Mt. Ashland Ski Area will not have a significant measurable impact on water quality and quantity. In addition, should Mt. Ashland Ski cease to operate, the comments and recommendations are designed to provide reasonable assurance that the financial condition of the city is not negatively impacted. A recommendation has been made that buildings constructed as part of the expansion should take into consideration the need for fire protection features within the buildings to prevent the potential for building fires spreading into adjacent wildland resources. Attached is a proposed agenda for the study session. Staff comments will be as brief as possible to allow for adequate time for discussion by the Mayor and Council. A Summary of Comments and Recommendations (Attachment 1) is included for your convenience, although comments and recommendations are contained throughout the attached documents. Attachment 2 is an analysis of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between the city and the Forest Service. The MOU defines the relationship between the city and the Forest Service as it relates to the management of the watershed. It was originally established in 1929 and has been amended on several occasions. The issues related to water quality and quantity are presented under the "Water Quality and Quantity" section. The financial risk issue as it relates to restoration requirements and the lease with the Mt. Ashland Association is presented under the "Financial Risk" section and the fire risk issue is presented under the "Fire Risk" section. The following documents have been included as background information: • U.S.D.A. Agreement (dated August 21, 1929) and amendments (A) • Mt. Ashland Ski Area Lease (dated July 9, 1992) (B) • Ski Area Term Special Use Permit (C) • Memo from Paula Brown (dated May 1, 2000) regarding comments on the DEIS (D) • Transmittal letter for the DEIS (E) • DEIS Abstract (F) • DEIS Executive Summary (G) •Memo from Paul Nolte (dated June 27, 2002) regarding role of the City in Mt. Ashland Expansion (H) • Map of Mt. Ashland Ski Area & Ashland Creek Watershed At the last study session the City Council asked for the status of a request from the city to the Forest Service to begin collecting background data on stream impacts, sediment loading and seasonal variability. This request was made as part of the city's comments on the DEIS released in 2000. The only action taken regarding this request has been the installation of gauging stations on the east and west forks of Ashland Creek. The stations were put in place in late summer, 2002.
Attachments:

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