NEVADA CITY, Calif. September 15, 2016 – The Forest Service will hold two public scoping meetings to facilitate public input on the Foresthill Public Utility District’s request to the Tahoe National Forest to raise the Sugar Pine Reservoir’s maximum water level by 20 feet.
The Foresthill Public Utility District submitted an application to the Forest seeking to amend its special use permit to increase the water storage capacity at the reservoir by installing steel radial gates in the existing spillway of the dam. While this action would inundate approximately 44 acres of National Forest System lands, including reservoir recreation facilities and sensitive habitat resources, it would also secure the water supply necessary to serve the anticipated future local demand.
The Forest Service encourages public participation in this process and requests comments on the proposed action. To ensure the public’s comments are fully considered during this initial scoping phase of the project, two public scoping meetings will be held from 6 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. at the following locations:
- September 19, 2016, at Foresthill Veterans Memorial Hall, 24601 Harrison Street, Foresthill, CA
- September 20, 2016, at ECORP Consulting, 2529 Warren Drive, Rocklin, CA
The Tahoe National Forest is initiating the preparation of an Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to analyze the application for the proposed permit amendment.
As an initial step in preparing the EIS, the Forest Service has developed a proposed action, which serves as a point from which to continue dialog with interested members of the public about this project.
The formal public scoping period will last 30-days after publication of notice in the Federal Register on September 2, 2016. More detailed information concerning the project, including information on how to comment on the proposed action, is available on the project webpage at: http://www.fs.usda.gov/project/?project=47780
At this time, a decision has not been made regarding the project.