Parking Lot

USFS approved 400 new parking spaces for skiers absent public notice, comment, and NEPA review.

• Using a SIR Decision, USFS approved 400 new parking spaces for skiers absent the public notice, comment, and review requirements of NEPA, in direct conflict with the 2005 FEIS and ROD, and with no analysis of the direct, indirect, and cumulative impacts 8. The 2005 FEIS and ROD stated at least 11 times that USFS would rely on parking and the lack of a shuttle to limit skier capacity.
• In the SIR Decision, the Forest Service authorized the lot to be 3.3 acres; the actual surface area of the built lot including the access road leading to it is far larger 9. Ground disturbance associated with the lot construction has an even bigger footprint and is now causing erosion and drainage issues across Hart Prairie. According to a citizen survey, runoff containing parking lot litter and likely containing reclaimed wastewater from melting artificial snow is traveling one-half mile from the ski area boundary 10.
• An extra area of disturbance was originally intended for snowplay use, and rather than requiring Snowbowl to clean up and reclaim Hart Prairie, USFS is allowing the fill to remain for an unidentified “future small guest services facility.” 11
• USFS allowed a shuttle to increase visitation, after specifically refusing to analyze the impacts of a shuttle in the 2005 FEIS 12.

8 Supplemental Information Report: Arizona Snowbowl Snowplay/Tubing Parking Lot Skier Use Assessment. September 25, 2019.
File Code 1950; 2340; 2720.
9 Ibid.
10 Citizen surveys during 2020 and 2021 performed by Richard Hereford, Tom Brownold, and Gwendolyn Waring.
11 p. 3 in September 25, 2019 Supplemental Information Report: Arizona Snowbowl Snowplay/Tubing Parking Lot Skier Use
Assessment, File Code 1950; 2340; 2720.
12 The free shuttle is advertised on Snowbowl’s website: https://www.snowbowl.ski/the-mountain/shuttle/. Its impacts on visitation have never been analyzed. USFS refused to analyze having Snowbowl run a shuttle instead of building more parking lots in the 2005 EIS because, “To this end, analysis of a potential shuttle system was not completed… as it had already been analyzed, implemented and proven not to be necessary once the access road was paved. In addition, parking is the only limiting factor for peak day visitation.” (2005 Final Environmental Impact Statement for Arizona Snowbowl Facilities Improvements Volume 2 Response to Comments on the Draft Environmental Impact Statement at pp. 21, 176-177.) Now there is a new parking lot for skiers and a shuttle, effectively removing any limit on visitation to the resort.