WSP04908

• File Number: 8200.765
• Description: White River General Publications-Correspondence-Reports - White River National Forest Issues 2000
• State: CO
• Basin: Statewide
• Date: 11/1/1999
• Author: USFS
• Title: White River National Forest Land Management Plan
• Water Supply Pro - Doc Type: Report/Study

002551

Ski-based resorts. Twelve ski-based resorts operate on NFS lands administered by the
Forest Eleven of these areas are administered by the White River National Forest, and
one (Ski Cooper) is administered by the Pike-San Isabel National Forests.

Skiing is the most popular recreation activity on the Forest - winter sports are the
foundation of a strong and growing tourist economy in Colorado.

The combined daily capacity of the ski-based resorts administered by the Forest is about
94,000 skiers per day, or about 7.8 million skier visits per year. Collectively, ski-based
resorts on the Forest have an annual capacity of about 9.1 million skiers. The 7.6 million
annual skier visits experienced in 1997 is 82 percent of the available annual capacity.

If the same ratio of available capacity to annual skier use is projected to 2010, the Forest
would need to provide an annual capacity of about 10.3 million skier visits to
accommodate an expected 8.7 million skiers. Between 1984 and 1997, the total number
of acres permitted for skiing was reduced 14 percent from 48,501 acres to 41,744 acres.
Rapid population growth in Colorado in recent years is contributing to an increase in
demand for skiing in Colorado. In the past 10 years, skier visits increased about 2.6
percent annually.

Table 5
Summary of ski area changes between 1987 and 1996

1987 1997 Notes
Acres under permit 48,501 41,744 15% decrease; Adam's Rib, Aspen Highlands,
Snowmass and Arapahoe Basin reduced
Skiable acres 9,546 16,883 The majority of new ski trails were cleared within
existing permit boundaries
Percent of skiable acres 19.8% 40.7% 77% increase in skiable acres
Daily capacity 74.976 93,709 24% increase in daily capacity
Annual capacity 6,900,000 9,200,000 Daily capacity is fixed. Annuai capacity may vary
due to changes in length of the ski season.
Annual skier visits 5,900,000 7,600,000 24% increase in annual skier visits.

Each of the six forest management alternatives allows continued operation of the 11 ski-
based resorts currently operating on NFS lands, according to the terms of special use
permits authorized by the Forest Each alternative provides a different level of potential
annual skier capacity based on a variety of potential expansion sites. Alternatives B, E
and F attempt to meet skier demand and provide the highest levels of service.
Alternatives D and I do not allocate any additional NFS lands for skiing beyond current
levels. Opportunities for skiing in these alternatives would remain stagnant at approved
capacity levels.

Table 6
Annual ski area capacity' made available by alternative

ALTERNATIVE

Total (millions)

B
11.57

C
10.36

D
9.22

E
12.34

F
11.15

1
9.19

. annual capacity is the number of skier visits in one year.

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