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

Ivan Marrero
Federal Highway Administration
15 May 2019

[Federal Register Volume 84, Number 94 (Wednesday, May 15, 2019)]
[Notices]
[Pages 21894-21895]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [www.gpo.gov]
[FR Doc No: 2019-10009]


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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 Revised Notice of Intent (NOI) in the Federal Register on 
March 5, 2019. 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 the anticipated 2019-2050 
Regional Transportation Plan (RTP) prepared by the Wasatch Front 
Regional Council (WFRC) and 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, Environmental Services Division, UDOT 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, UT 84104-4592;

[[Page 21895]]

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 5, 2019, at FR Vol. 84, No. 43, page 7967-8, FHWA on 
behalf of UDOT issued a Revised 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 March 5, 2019 Revised NOI and the EIS 
process, UDOT invited public and agency comments during a scoping 
period from March 5 to May 3, 2019, which included a public scoping 
meeting on April 9, 2019. Just prior to the initiation of this scoping 
period the WFRC released a Draft 2019--2050 RTP which included project 
R-S-53, widen Little Cottonwood Canyon Road (SR-210) from 2 to 3 lanes 
from Wasatch Boulevard to End of Canyon. This project was not included 
in the 2015 to 2040 RTP. The Draft 2019-2050 RTP also included Special 
Bus Service in Little Cottonwood Canyon. After reviewing the Draft 
2019-2050 RTP, UDOT has revised the scope of the Little Cottonwood 
Canyon EIS. The revised scope includes the same elements from the March 
5, 2019 Revised NOI plus the addition of the Little Cottonwood Canyon 
SR-210 RTP projects. The EIS scope will include 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;
     Roadway improvements to SR-210 on Wasatch Boulevard from 
SR-190/Fort Union Boulevard to North Little Cottonwood Canyon Road; and
     Additional roadway capacity and mobility improvements, 
including the option of adding a third lane on SR-210 in Little 
Cottonwood Canyon, with the evaluation of managed lane concepts.

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.
    To ensure the public was informed of the inclusion of the 
additional lane into EIS, UDOT sent out an email to interested 
stakeholders and agencies and held an agency scoping meeting on April 
3, 2019 notifying them of the change in EIS scope. In addition, the 
inclusion of the additional lane into the EIS was included in project 
information provided at the April 9, 2019 public scoping meeting for 
comment. An initial scoping period was held from March 9-May 4, 2018 
that included mobility improvements on SR-210 in Little Cottonwood 
Canyon. Comments received during the initial scoping period will be 
carried forward during this process.
    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 and are expected 
to continue in this role with the revised scope.
    Information describing the revised scope and soliciting comments 
have been 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. Information 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 June 14, 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.)

    Dated: May 7, 2019.
Ivan Marrero,
Division Administrator, Federal Highway Administration, Salt Lake City, 
Utah.
[FR Doc. 2019-10009 Filed 5-14-19; 8:45 am]
 BILLING CODE 4910-22-P