BOARD00850 - Laserfiche WebLink

Home Browse Search

" , Up for grabs: Planners, public discuss future of skiing in Snake River Basin By Kim Marquis Ski area m,1ster planning had never been such iI public debate until ~he Forest St!rvice unleashed its pr!J- r(l.~eJ forest plan revision (t\lkm;lliveD). . O.....lflre all the hoopla over forest r!;mnillj.; beg,m with the hotly con- tested and highly political Alternative D document, ski area master development plans basically sat on a shelf at the lOCi'll Forest Service offke until area officials . to forge ahead with a specif~ . st, such as Keystone's Jones project. Only then did the oomental studies and public ate begin in earnest. But now, across the White River Niltional Forest - and especially in Summit County -.the public is dis. cussing ski area expansions that aren"t even in the approval process, and resort officials afe disclosing details of terrain expansions for which they haven't officially request- ed approvals. When the final forest plan is ra.~sed (the deadline for comments was recently delayed again by 90 dilYS t{l May, 2(00), it will set man- agement policies for the next IS years, and so the public is being <lsked to consider "what ifs" con- ceminf; lift-served skiing on terrilin surrounding all of the county's r1~~orts. 'ebilte will continue this Iv en the Snake River Planning , sian meets to discuss forest ng in the Snake River Bi15in. .11 is to reach a consensus on 11 ar.,ft forest plan and ultimately write a comment letter to the forest supervisor regarding the planning commission's position on Allemalive D. Ski area prescriptions - where future s,ki area expansions ma;,. occur - are at the core of these discussions. It's no secret that local ski area officials don't like Alternative D. They decry the ecological basis for the new management policies. Alternative D "gives higher priority 10 wildlife than to people" and "doesn't attempt to meet projected growth for recreation." reads a recent memo from Vail Resorts' Communicatic>ns Director Paul Witt to resort >!mployees. In addition to disliking the plan's philosophies, ski area offidals say they don't like the plan's specilics, either, and they've been's1Jowil)g,up'at m~~ ith maps tuckea iinMr-urBP""'aft $ show the public why they' J like to negotiate a document that will "leave the door open" lor ski area planning. Keystone Resort eyes Independence Mountain Keystone Resort officials have already turned the wheels on a ter- rain expansion in Jones Gulch, a 135- acre parcel east of Keystone Mountain that proposes four lilts serving intermediate to advanced terrain. Also in the cards for Keystone is West Ridge, a ISO-acre area west of the ski resort that was logged in the late 1800s. The gently stepped slope can be seen while rid- ing the Outback or Ruby lifts. Kevstone officials haven't official- ly asked for the West Ridge expan- sion, but Boyd Mitchell, director of planning for the resort, said that if Alternative D passed as-is, West Ridge would be the end of the line for lift-served skiing at Keystone. Keystone's current permit area includes about 6,000 acres - more than three times the amount of ter- ConUn.td o. p~gt 18 ,..~. POSTAL CUSTOMER CAR-AT SOAT >TEN MilE TIMES Photo~y M.JohnF~rh.... Tht ltlkln family - Kaylyn In tht fortground, her Unit brotner Andy, dad Jtff and mom Marla - took advantage of the mtagtr snow olftrlngs avaHalJlt for sledding nur lilt Frisco tlrt station over tilt ThanksgivIng wtektnd. Tht lelklns wert In town from thtir homelnRagstaffYlsltlng friends and fainlly. Breckenridge moves to settle Miner's Creek dispute By Bob Btrwyn Residents of Bill's Ranch are rest- ing a little e"sier this week, as the Town ol Breckenridge has partially backed away from an ath:~mpt to claim water from Miner's Creek. At last week's meetin~ of the Colorado Water Conservation Board (OVCB), the town moved to settle the long-simmering dispute by of Ie ring to give up part of its claim, while insisting on its right to claim water nowing through an existing diversion from the Miner's Creek tn the North Barton Gulch drainag~ and thence to the Blue River. What remains at issue is whether the water in that diversion should be counted as part of the state's decreed water right in the Upper BlUe. The state has said it should, but Clenn Porzak, the town's water allome)~ has challenged that posi- tion, and threatened 10 re-open (he Continued on page 20 ~.II.'"'''~":~"".,_~"~~~..q.tF.!:')~:''''''&~~:,J:::~~.~.';'",,,,,,, ... . ~..'.-"!~~:ft'~:.~~j(i~~ -:.....-.