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~ , "7 n~.' ,.\ ...!) U '" ,." .~ detachable chair. Summer uses at the Elk Camp summit station would be limited to sightseeing, a small observation deck, and hiking. An interpretive hiking trail would be developed in the vicinity of the Cafe Suzanne area. A biking trail between the Elk Camp summit and Cafe Suzanne will utilize the existing Elk Camp service road. Mountain biking access to the western portion of the permit area will be available via the Turkey Trot, Alpine Springs, or Sam's Knob lifts. If the Sheer Bliss or Sam's Knob gondolas are built, the summit station for these facilities will serve as primary staging areas for summer uses. Trails will be designed and separated between hiking and biking uses. Mountain biking access will be coordinated with guided jeep tours to Elk Camp and Sam's Knob through routing or scheduling to avoid conflicts. An area closure would be instituted during the summer months for those portions of Burnt Mountain uphill of the Government Trail and east of the ridge that separates Burnt Mountain from the Elk Camp pod. A new spur trail would connect to the relocated Government Trail via the Funnel ski trail. DISCUSSION Public demand for summer recreation opportunities within upper Roaring Fork Valley continues to rise at a dramatic rate. The explosion in the popularity of mountain biking has greatly contributed to this demand. The activities and facilities I am authorizing will provide outstanding opportunities to area visitors and will relieve some of the use pressure being experienced on existing recreational resources elsewhere on the Forest. The resort industry in the Town of Snowmass Village (TOSV) has historically suffered through major down-turns in business during the non-skiing seasons. Only 15 to 20 percent of the commercial activity in Snowmass occurs during the summer; whereas the City of Aspen is much more balanced with 45 to 50 percent of its tourist business occurring in the summer. The approved facilities and summer uses should significantly contribute to establishing more of a balanced economy in TOSV. CONDITIONS Conditions governing summer uses were outlined in the facility descriptions above. Other mitigation and monitoring requirements are specified in the FEIS Mitigation and Monitoring Plan. Commercial operations for new activities that are not tied to the ski area's infrastructure (i.e., buildings, lifts, etc.) will be offered to potential operators through a prospectus/bid process. C. PROPOSED MDP COMPONENTS NOT AUTHORIZED 1. Large Summit Facility on .Burnt Mountain RECORD OF DECISION Page. 19 Based on the environmental impacts disclosed in the FEIS, I do not believe a large summit facility (20-30, 000 sq. ft. with restaurants and interpretive center), as proposed by the permittee, is an appropriate use of this public resource. The proximity of Burnt Mountain to important wildlife habitats and to the MB-SW boundary would make. mitigating adverse effects to acceptable levels extremely difficult, if not impractical. I believe that the potential public benefits of such a facility cannot be achieved without placing other important resource values at a high risk of impairment.