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Lutsen Mountains is seeking to expand its ski area on National Forest System land adjacent to the current ski hill. The expansion would be on land managed by the Superior National Forest.
To that end, the United States Forest Service, Superior National Forest (SNF), is seeking comments on a Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) that analyzes the environmental impacts of the Lutsen Mountains Ski Area Expansion Project.
A Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS) analyzing a proposal to expand Lutsen Mountains Ski Area is available for public review and comment. A Notice of Availability (NOA) was published in the Federal Register on September 10 to inform the public of the DEIS’ availability and the initiation of a 45-day public comment period. The Forest is tentatively planning to hold a virtual public meeting on October 5.
In December 2017, Lutsen Mountains applied for a special use permit that would allow the resort to construct, operate and maintain a ski area on Forest Service lands. The proposal is an allowable use of Forest Service land per the National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986, which allows National Forest System lands to be used as ski areas with the appropriate special use permit.
The Superior National Forest has developed a Draft EIS to fully address the issues and potential effects of the proposed expansion of Lutsen Mountains Ski Area. The proposed expansion includes establishing permanent facilities such as ski runs, lodges, lifts and parking lots on 495-acres of Forest Service land. The DEIS analyzes the potential impacts of the proposal and provides alternatives.
On April 28, 2021, the forest issued a Notice of Intent to begin reviewing the special use application and project proposal and opened a 30-day public scoping period to gather input from the public and partners on the proposal. The forest reviewed comments and incorporated input into the DEIS as appropriate.
After the 45-day comment period, the Forest Service will revise the Draft EIS into a Final EIS based on public input. The final EIS will be issued with the selection of an alternative and the Forest Supervisor’s decision about whether or not to grant the special use permit.
Comments on the Draft EIS will be accepted for 45 days from publication of the Notice of Availability in the Federal Register or until October 25, 2021 (the anticipated publication date of the NOA is September 10, 2021). The NOA provides the sole means of calculating the close of the Draft EIS comment period. The entire DEIS is available for review on the SNF website at: www.fs.usda.gov/project/?=52440.
Written Comments: Please direct to: Ellen Bogardus-Szymaniak, District Ranger: Lutsen DEIS Project, Tofte Ranger District, 7355 West Highway 61, PO BOX 2159, Tofte, MN 55615.
Electronic Comments: Email comments to comments-eastern-superior@usda. gov. Please include “Lutsen Mountains Ski Area Expansion Project” in the subject line.
For further information about this project or questions about commenting, please contact Michael Jimenez, project coordinator, at Michael.Jimenez@usda.gov.
Comments received, including names and addresses of those who comment, will become part of the public record for this project and will be subject to review pursuant to the Freedom of Information Act.
Individuals and organizations wishing to object must meet the information requirements in 36 CFR 218(a)(3).
The genesis of the project
Lutsen explains their need to grow in a summary posted on their webpage. It states that in 1980 when the Skinner family purchased the ski area, there were 60 percent more ski hills at that time than there are today and that 300-ski areas, mainly destination ski areas like Lutsen Mountains, have gone out of business because they were too small to keep up with modern infrastructure costs.
That said, Lutsen Mountains developed a 25-year Master Development Plan to expand its current operations. To accomplish their plan, they applied for a special use permit for 550-acres of adjacent NFS lands administered by the Superior National Forest.
Plans are to add novice, intermediate, and advanced runs by adding 180 to 320 acres. This will allow the ski area to grow visits and fund future infrastructure investments to ensure the ski area’s long-term survival.
Parking will be added on Eagle and Moose Mountains, and skier service buildings and base area facilities will be added as well.
Opportunities for more cross-country skiing and an improved route for the Superior Hiking Trail are included in the plans.
Much of the land Lutsen Mountains is hoping to lease is relatively steep (25 to 75 percent grade) and is adjacent to the ski area.
The current ski area is privately held, and there isn’t room to expand in any significant way. Thus, the need for the Superior Forest property. In addition, the NFS land was designated for “Recreation Use in a Scenic Landscape” in 2004 by the Superior National Management Forest Land and Resource Management Plan.
It is also noted the land in question is outside of the Poplar River Watershed and that most ski areas are on NFS permitted (or other public) land.
The Special Use Permit seeks 434 acres on Moose Mountain and 116 acres on Eagle Mountain.
The expansion project is expected to generate $30 million in construction spending, create construction jobs and spur other local development. And the jobs are expected to double at Lutsen Mountains which currently employs 500 fulltime equivalent jobs in the winter months.
Should the permitting be approved, the project is expected to take 7-15 years to complete.
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