Environmental Impact Statement: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Salt Lake County, Utah

Ivan Marrero
Federal Highway Administration
5 March 2019

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 43 (Tuesday, March 5, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 7967-7968]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-03957]


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DEPARTMENT OF TRANSPORTATION

Federal Highway Administration


Environmental Impact Statement: Little Cottonwood Canyon, Salt 
Lake County, Utah

AGENCY: Federal Highway Administration (FHWA), DOT.

ACTION: Revised Notice of Intent to Prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement.

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SUMMARY: FHWA on behalf of the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) 
published a Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on March 9, 
2018. FHWA on behalf of UDOT is issuing this notice to advise the 
public that UDOT intends to revise the scope of the analysis of the 
Little Cottonwood Canyon project based on new information collected 
from the public and agencies during the scoping process and development 
of the project need.

FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: Brandon Weston, Environmental Services 
Director, UDOT--Environmental Services Division, 4501 South 2700 West, 
P.O. Box 141265, Salt Lake City, Utah 84114-1265; Telephone: (801) 965-
4603; Email: brandonweston@utah.gov. John Thomas, PE, Little Cottonwood 
Canyon Project Manager, UDOT Region 2, 2010 South 2760 West, Salt Lake 
City, Utah 84104-4592; Telephone: (801) 550-2248; Email: 
johnthomas@utah.gov.

SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION: The environmental review, consultation, and 
other actions required by applicable federal environmental laws for 
this project are being or have been carried out by UDOT pursuant to 23 
U.S.C. 327 and a Memorandum of Understanding dated January 17, 2017, 
and executed by FHWA and UDOT.
    On March 9, 2018, at FR Vol. 83, No. 47, page 10545, FHWA on behalf 
of UDOT issued a NOI for UDOT, as the lead agency under the National 
Environmental Policy Act (NEPA), to prepare an Environmental Impact 
Statement (EIS) for proposed improvements to SR-210, a two-lane 
roadway, in Little Cottonwood Canyon in Salt Lake County, Utah. The 
proposed project study area in the NOI extended from the intersection 
of SR-210 and SR-190/Fort Union Boulevard in Cottonwood Heights, Utah 
to the terminus of SR-210 in the town of Alta, Utah. The extent of the 
project study area has not changed with this revised NOI.
    As part of the release of the NOI and the EIS process, UDOT invited 
public and agency comments during a scoping period from March 9 to May 
4, 2018, which included a public scoping meeting on April 10, 2018. 
During the scoping period UDOT gathered information about the public 
and agency concerns and began development of the EIS by defining the 
purpose of and need for improvements to SR-210. After reviewing scoping 
comments and the need for the project, UDOT has revised the scope of 
the EIS to focus on the following: (1) Taking no action; (2) one or 
more alternatives involving multiple, combined actions, including:
     Transportation System Management (TSM);
     Enhancing safety and improving winter time mobility 
through avalanche mitigation;
     Enhancing safety, access, and mobility in the area through 
improved designated parking areas at existing U.S. Department of 
Agriculture (USDA) Forest Service trailheads; and
     Roadway improvements to SR-210 on Wasatch Boulevard from 
SR-190/Fort Union Boulevard to North Little Cottonwood Canyon Road; and 
(3) other alternatives if identified during the EIS process. 
Alternatives that do not meet the project purpose and need or that are 
otherwise not reasonable will not be carried forward for detailed 
consideration.
    The project may require FHWA to appropriate National Forest System 
lands and transfer such lands to UDOT for highway use, pursuant to 
authority under 23 U.S.C. 317. The project may also require approvals 
by the USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and/or 
other agencies. The USDA Forest Service, the U.S. Army Corps of 
Engineers, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, Utah Transit 
Authority, and Salt Lake City Department of Public Utilities have 
accepted UDOT's invitation to be cooperating agencies under the March 
9, 2018 NOI and are expected to continue in this role with the revised 
scope.
    Letters describing the revised scope and soliciting comments will 
be sent to appropriate Federal, state, and local agencies as well as to 
Native American tribes and to private organizations and citizens who 
have previously expressed, or who are known to have, an interest in 
this proposal. UDOT will hold a

[[Page 7968]]

public scoping meeting on April 9, 2019 from 4:00 p.m. to 8:00 p.m. at 
Cottonwood Heights City Hall, 2277 East Bengal Boulevard, Cottonwood 
Heights, Utah 84121 to provide information on the revised scope and to 
seek additional public and agency input. Public notices announcing the 
meeting will be published in the region. Information regarding this 
meeting and the project may also be obtained through a public website 
maintained by UDOT at www.udot.utah.gov/littlecottonwoodeis.
    During the NEPA process, other public meetings will be held as 
appropriate to allow the public, as well as Federal, state, and local 
agencies, and tribes, to provide comments on the purpose of and need 
for the project, potential alternatives, and social, economic, and 
environmental issues of concern.
    In addition, a public hearing will be held following the release of 
the Draft EIS. Public notice advertisements and direct mailings will 
notify interested parties of the time and place of the public meetings 
and the public hearing. The Draft EIS will be available for public and 
agency review and comment prior to the public hearing.
    To ensure that the full range of issues related to this proposed 
action is addressed and all significant issues are identified, comments 
and suggestions are invited from all interested parties. Written 
comments or questions concerning this proposed action and the EIS 
should be directed to UDOT representatives at the mail or email 
addresses provided above by May 3, 2019. For additional information 
please visit the project website at www.udot.utah.gov/littlecottonwoodeis. Information requests or comments can also be 
provided by email to littlecottonwoodeis@utah.gov.

(Catalog of Federal and Domestic Assistance Program Number 20.205, 
Highway Research, Planning and Construction. The regulations 
implementing Executive Order 12372 regarding intergovernmental 
consultation on Federal programs and activities apply to this 
program.)

    Issued on: February 27, 2019.
Ivan Marrero,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Salt Lake City, 
Utah.
[FR Doc. 2019-03957 Filed 3-4-19; 8:45 am]
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