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▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼FEIS NOA July 2012, decision/implementation expectedJuly 2012/June 2013. Joe Foreman jgforeman@fs.fed.us970-262-3443 www.fs.fed.us/nepa/project_content.php?project=23387■ Canyons Resort in Park City, UT: Proposedlinking near its Daybreak Lift to Solitude MountainResort base in Big Cottonwood Canyon, UT in September2011. Further details were released in November2011 including the SkiLink name; 8passenger tram size; 1,000 people/hour capacity and11 minute connection time. The two resorts areabout 5 miles apart but a 45 minute drive throughSalt Lake City is currently required.■ Heavenly Mountain, CA: 2012 Capital ImprovementProjects EA. Lift & trail improvements,guest activities and facility improvements at top ofGondola. 215 Comment Period 5/16/12, decision andimplementation expected July and August 2012.Jonathan Fisher jcfisher@fs.fed.us 909-382-2771■ Himalayan Ski Village, Manali, India. June2012 ruling by Himachal Pradesh High Court JusticeRajiv Sharma invalidated the 2010 order blocking the$2.77 billion luxury resort project backed by AlfredFord (great grandson of Henry Ford) in the northend of the Kullu Valley. The project on elevations upto 14,000 feet includes 8 lifts, including a 3 stagedgondola and tram and skiable terrain to service approximately4,500 visitors, multiple village areas with700 hotel rooms, a 20,000 square foot convention facilityand spa, performing arts center, restaurants,and shopping. In July 2012 the Himachal Pradeshchief minister Prem Kumar Dhumal said that thestate government would appeal the June 2012 singlebench decision to the Himachal Pradesh HighCourt’s “double bench”.■ Homewood Mountain Resort, CA: Phase 1 ofthe resort’s Master Plan approved by Tahoe RegionalPlanning Agency (TRPA) Governing Board in December2011. Construction of the $500 million projectis expected to begin in 2014. In January 2012Earthjustice, on behalf of The Sierra Club andFriends of the West Shore, filed a lawsuit in the U.S.District Court of Eastern California against TRPAand Placer County seeking a new Environmental ImpactReport (EIR) for this Homewood Master Planthat “properly mitigates the effects of developmentnear Lake Tahoe’s shores, as required by the TahoeRegional Plan.” Some highlights from the EIR (preferredalternative 1A) include an 8 passenger highspeed gondola, high speed quad and new beginnermid mountain ski lift; resort lodge/5 star boutiquestyle hotel with 75 rooms and 70 condo units atNorth Base area; mid mountain day lodge and outdoorswimming pool; village center/ice skating rinkat North Base area; total of 39 new buildings atNorth and South Base areas (155 tourist accommodationunits, 177 residential units and 13 workforce/employeehousing units) to be built on 23 acredevelopment using LEED gold standard.http://www.trpa.org/default.aspx?tabindex=0&tabid=407■ Jumbo Glacier Resort, B.C., Canada: New B.C.ski resort development agreement valued at C$1 billionwas approved by Steve Thomson, B.C. Ministerof Forests, Lands and Natural Resource operation inMarch 2012 after 9 years of review. Resort will beon Farnham Glacier in the Kootenay region west ofInvermere with up to 23 ski lifts and 1,400 residentialunits. Initial gondola and t-bar could be completedby fall 2013.■ June Mountain, CA: Closed immediately inJune 2012 for this summer and next winter seasonafter 25 years of losses by owner Mammoth Mountain.June Mountain has 7 lifts on its 500 acre skiarea with an average annual snowfall of 240 inchesand a vertical of 2,590 feet. Mammoth’s original intentwith the 1986 purchase of June Mountain wasto increase the resort size with new terrain along SanJoaquin Ridge (ultimately connecting the two areas),new runs to June Lake Village, plus new facilities.■ Kicking Horse Mountain Resort, Golden,British Columbia: The resort was sold to Resorts ofCanadian Rockies Inc (Calgary, Alberta) by BallastNedam NV (construction and infrastructure firm inNieuwegin, Netherlands) for an undisclosed amountin December 2011. However, Ballast Nedam announcedthat as a result of the transaction, the valueof its assets will decline by 21 million euros ($27 millionUS) and its long term loans will decrease by 6million euros. Kicking Horse has more than 120trails on 2,800 acres; 4,133 foot vertical drop; 5 lifts(8-person gondola, 2 quad chairs, 1 double chair, 1surface lift) and has operated for 11 years. Resortsof the Canadian Rockies owns 5 other Canadian skiresorts (Fernie & Kimberley Alpine Resort in BritishColumbia, Mont-Sainte Anne & Stoneham MountainResort in Quebec, Nakiska Ski Area in Alberta) plusa number of accommodation properties, golf courses,and a central reservation agency.■ Kirkwood Mountain Resort, CA: Resort purchased,along with undeveloped sites at the base areaby Vail Resorts for $18 million in February 2012 withclosing subject to U.S. Forest Service approval. Kirkwoodhas 2,300 skiable acres, top elevation of 9,800feet with a vertical drop of 2,000 feet, 14 lifts andmore than 72 trails. Kirkwood’s Master DevelopmentPlan expected to be reviewed by Vail Resortsfor potential capital improvements.http://www.kirkwood.com/site/mountain/land-use-approvals■ Mammoth Mountain, CA: Mammoth MountainBase Land Exchange EA. Exchange 21 acres ofNational Forest land located near the Main Lodgefor 1,779 acres. Scoping start 9/13/11. Estimated 215Comment Period October 2012, decision/implementationexpected January/April 2013. S h e i l a I r o n ssirons@fs.fed.us 760-924-5534 www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=30428■ Manitoba Mountain, AK: Sustainable ski arearedevelopment project planned by Mountain Rider’sAlliance (MRA) for Manitoba Mountain nearCooper Landing in Kenai Mountains of Chugach NationalForest, which last operated from 1941-1960.Includes 3 surface lifts to provide access to 1,000acres of inbounds terrain and 10,000 acres of backcountry(descents up to 4,400 feet) and hike to terrainwith estimated annual snowfall of 300-550inches. Lift served vertical drop 2,596 feet with baseelevation of 1,106 feet and top of highest surface liftat 3,702 feet. Results from 7 community outreachpresentations compiled in October 2011 by MountainRider’s Alliance project manager Dave Scanlan.MRA partnered up with University of Alaska Anchorage’s(UAA) Geomatics program in October2011 to do preliminary survey work.www.SkiManitobaMountain.com■ Mt Ashland, OR: Based on new environmentalstudies, the U.S. Forest Service asked the U.S. DistrictCourt in Medford, OR in February 2012 to liftthe U.S. Circuit Court injunction. The injunctionbased on Pacific fisher habitat stopped the 71 acreexpansion which will include 2 new lifts, new trails,3 new buildings and a snow tubing area.■ Mt. Bachelor, OR: Mt Bachelor Ski Area DevelopmentsEIS. On-mountain improvements: newchairlift Eastside Express and associated trails, shorteningand/or replacement of existing lifts (RainbowLift, Sunrise Express, Red Chair), expanding snowmakingcoverage, construction of a lift-served, downhillmountain bike park, and additions to Nordic trail.Draft EIS NOA in Federal Register 6/1/12, estimatedFinal EIS NOA February 2013, implementation April2013. Amy Tinderholt, Recreation, Special Uses andTrails atinderholt@fs.fed.us 541-383-4708 www.fs.fed.us/nepa/nepa_project_exp.php?project=35863■ Mt Spokane, WA: Ski area expansion onto themountain’s northwest face with a new chairlift and7 new ski runs on 279 acres was approved by WashingtonState Parks and Recreation Commission inMay 2011. This decision on the expansion proposalMS2000 (launched in 2003) yielded a blended landclassification for the 850 acre section known as PotentialAlpine Ski Area Expansion (PASEA) with 80acres classified as Recreation for formal ski trails, 19954 Far West Skier’s Guide 2O12 - 2O13 / See the Digital Edition of the Far West Skier’s Guide at www.fwsa.org.