USDA Forest Service
Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest
Salt Lake County, Utah
Legal Notice of Opportunity to Object
Big Cottonwood Canyon Project
The Forest Service in coordination with the Utah Department of Transportation (UDOT) have completed the Final Environmental Assessment (EA) for the proposed Big Cottonwood Canyon Project. The Forest Service has also prepared a Draft Decision Notice and Finding of No Significant Impact (DN/FONSI) for selected alternative in the draft DN which would authorize the proposed action, specific to Forest Service decision areas.
The selected alternative in the Draft DN would authorize Forest Service-specific components including: authorizing a special use permit for the construction and operation of two new transit stops, one located adjacent to Brighton Ski Area (within the permit boundary but not included in the Brighton Resort Ski Area Permit), the other located adjacent to Solitude Mountain Ski Area (outside the permit boundary and not included in the Solitude Mountain Ski Area Ski Area Permit). Forest Service decisions also include authorizing UDOT to add additional restroom facilities and reconfigure the existing transit stop at the Mill D/Cardiff Fork Trailhead, reconfigure the transit stop at Spruces Campground, and add a bus-only priority lane around the Brighton Loop on NFS lands. In addition, the Forest Service would approve a project-specific amendment to the 2003 Land and Resource Management Plan, Wasatch-Cache Planning Area, as amended (Forest Plan). The project-specific Forest Plan amendment would allow for a transit stop adjacent to Solitude Mountain Ski Area within Management Prescription designation 3.1W. The amendment to the Forest Plan would add the following language to Standard 3.1W: “This standard does not apply to the activities approved for the Utah Department of Transportation’s Big Cottonwood Canyon Project”.
The Responsible Official is Kelsha Anderson, Forest Supervisor, Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest. The Objection Reviewing Officer is the Region 4 Deputy Regional Forester, Brant Petersen. The Final EA and Draft DN/FONSI are available on the project website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/r04/uinta-wasatch-cache/projects/68879. For additional information, contact Adam Shaw, District Ranger at adam.shaw@usda.gov.
This action is subject to the predecisional administrative review process outlined in Title 36 of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR), Part 218, Subparts A and B. A final decision will not be made until after the requirements of 36 CFR 218.12, Timing of Project Decision, have been met.
Objections can be accepted only from individuals and entities who have submitted timely, specific written comments regarding a proposed project or activity subject to these regulations during any Forest Service designated opportunity for public comment, per the regulations at 36 CFR 218.5(a). Additional eligibilities are established in 36 CFR 218.5(b) through (f). Issues raised in objections must be based on previously submitted timely, specific, written comments regarding the proposed project unless based on new information arising after designated opportunities for comment. A connection to previous comments must be demonstrated in the objection.
Objections will only be accepted from persons or organizations who formally submitted specific written
comments during the Forest Service combined scoping and comment period which began with
publication of the legal notice in the Salt Lake Tribune on December 11, 2025, and ended on January 9, 2026.
Objections must be specific to the Forest Service decision on this project. The UDOT decision is
not subject to the Forest Service objection process.
Individual members of organizations must have submitted their own comments to meet the requirements of eligibility as an individual. Objections received on behalf of an organization are considered as those of the organization only. If an objection is submitted on behalf of a number of individuals or organizations, each individual or organization listed must meet the eligibility requirement of having previously submitted comments on the project (36 CFR 218.5). Names and addresses of objectors will become part of the public record.
Incorporation of documents by reference in the objection is permitted only as provided for at 36 CFR 218.8(b). Minimum content requirements of an objection as identified in 36 CFR 218.8(d) include:
Objections must be postmarked (if sent via postal mail), faxed, or submitted electronically at https://cara.fs2c.usda.gov/Public/CommentInput?Project=68879 within 45 days following publication of this legal notice. Electronic objections must be submitted in a format such as Portable Document Format (pdf), plain text (.txt), or Word (.doc or .docx) and electronic file names must be less than 85 characters long (including spaces). Mailed objections should be sent to Objection Reviewing Officer, Big Cottonwood Canyon Project, USFS Intermountain Regional Office, Hansen Federal Building, Room 4016, 324 25th Street, Ogden, UT 84401. Hand delivery of written objections can be made during normal working hours to the address above. For those individuals who wish to submit via fax, please contact Administrative Review and Appeals Coordinator, Scarlett Vallaire, at scarlett.vallaire@usda.gov or 801-989-6605. It is the responsibility of objectors to ensure their objection is received in a timely manner (36 CFR 218.9).
The publication date in the Salt Lake Tribune, newspaper of record, is the exclusive means for calculating the time to file an objection to this project. Those wishing to object to the draft DN/FONSI should not rely upon dates or timeframe information provided by any other source.
Adam Shaw
