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acres classified as Resource Recreation for backcountryskiing, and 571 acres classified as Natural ForestArea for wildlife habitat and forest protection. AThurston County Superior Court hearing was heldin January 2012 on Lands Council environmentalgroup June 2011 lawsuit, which challenged the approvalprocess on the basis that an EIS should havebeen required. Draft Supplemental EIS 4/26/12. Theski resort only occupies about 10 percent of MountSpokane’s 14,000 acres. Permits and additional environmentalreviews are not expected to be completeduntil at least the summer of 2012. RandyKline, Environmental Program Manager Mtspokane.ski.area.proposal@parks.wa.gov360- 902-8632www.parks.wa.gov/plans/mtspokane2/www.mtspokane.com/107/backside-expansion/■ Okanogon-Wenatchee & Colville NationalForests, WA:. Forest plan revision (recreation use includedin revision topics) EIS. Estimated DEIS Noticeof Adjustment (NOA) expected January 2013.Decision /implementation expected April 2014. PlanRevision Public Information Specialist Deborah Kellydlkelly@fs.fed.us 509-826-3396 www.fs.fed.us/r6/wenatchee/forest-plan■ Snowbird, UT: The Salt Lake County PlanningCommission approved new location for a mountaincoaster on lower slopes of Peruvian Gulch inMay 2012. Vertical drop is about 160 feet with averagedownhill grade of 11.5% with a maximum slopeof 39% on a downhill track of 2,120 feet and an uphilltrack of 1,000 feet. Final design phase will beginnow and installation is expected fall 2012 or spring2013.■ Snowbird, UT: Snowbird Ski Resort Gad ValleyImprovements EA. 11 proposed projects are to becompleted over the next 5 years within Snowbird’spermitted boundary and include: Gad 2 upgrade to ahigh speed quad, adding beginner skiing terrain adjacentto the Baby Thunder area, providing night skiingfrom the Gadzoom chairlift and an expansion ofCreekside Lodge Adaptive Sports facilities. Scopingstart 6/27/11, 215 comment period legal notice5/10/12, decision/implementation expected December2012/June 2013. Pollyanna Popola ppopola@fs.fed.us801-733-2687 www.fs.fed.us/nepa/project_content.php?project=36527Other proposals in Snowbird’s amendment toits master plan filed in May 2010 including expansioninto the 780 acre, above treeline Mary EllenGulch (west of Mineral Basin) along with a 2nd tramfrom Hidden Peak to West Twin Peak (11,489 feet)of American Fork Twin Peaks, a lengthening of MineralBasin Express by 50%, and a 3rd lift from thebottom of Mary Ellen Gulch to Sinners Pass ridgefor descent back into Mineral Basin will be addressedseparately at a later date. See expansion maps atwww.utahoutside.com/2011/04/national-forestservice-accepts-snowbird-expansion-proposal/■ Soldier Mountain Ski Area, Idaho. ActorBruce Willis to give the ski area for free to a localnonprofit Soldier Mountain Recreation Area innearby Fairfield. 1,150 acre areas with 1,425 verticalfoot drop. Public meeting about ski area future heldin April 2012.■ Sol Vista Ski Basin, CO: Renamed as SkiGranby Ranch in March 2012. Prior names includedVal Moritz and Silver Creek.■ Squaw Valley USA, CA: (owned by KSL CapitalPartners) and Alpine Meadows, CA (owned byJMA Ventures) announced its merger in September2011 which closed in November 2011 after approvalby the US Forest Service and the California TahoeConservancy. KSL is the majority shareholder &JMA is the minority shareholder in the new SquawValley Ski Holdings LLC with access to more than6,000 acres, 8 mountain peaks, 44 lifts, more than 270trails, and a common shared ridgeline. The planned$50 million Squaw Renaissance capital improvementsover the next 3-5 years will continue. A substantialinvestment in a guest experience at AlpineMeadows is expected. New dual mountain options- Tahoe Super Pass (7 day) adult $439-$799 dependingupon blackout dates purchased by 11/30/11,Tahoe Super Six (6 day unrestricted card) adult $399.■ Vail Mountain, CO: Vista Bahn Lift ReplacementCE. Remove and replace the existing VistaBahn chairlift with a gondola. Analysis completed.Decision 2/24/12. Implementation expected April2012. Don Dressler drdressler@fs.fed.us 970-827-5715■ Wolf Creek Resort, UT: Ski resort and golfcourse failed to sell at a June 2012 bankruptcy auctionwhen the high bid of $7 million was rejected bythe creditors. The 3,000 acre parcel includes a 110-acre ski resort with three chairlifts and a lodge; an18-hole championship golf course designed by MarkBallif; and about 900 undeveloped lots. Wolf Creekis appraised at $28-34 million and has been in bankruptcysince 2010.More Updates in Digital EditionConsumer AdvocacyAdvocacy on behalf of all recreational skiersconsumes a large part of the effort made duringFWSA member’s visits to all ski areas. But not onlyis it important to express the consumer’s opinionwhile “on the mountain”, it must also be expressedback home, in the communities that only think ofsnow skiing in the winter. As “The Voice of the WesternSkier”, the Far West Ski Association takes its du-ties very seriously. The Association continues tokeep close tabs on a variety of consumer advocacyissues ranging from safety, helmet usage, avalancheawareness, women’s ski jumping, Congressional Skiand Snowboard Caucus, injury liability initiatives,youth snowsports development programs, and luggageregulations.Snowsports Trends & News Update:■ “Growing the Snowsports Industry” – an openletter from the National Ski and Snowboard RetailersAssociation (NSSRA) Chairman Brad Nelson inJune 2012. He advocated that you own the fightstrategy in your own space and in your own communityby taking personal responsibility to introduceskiing or snowboarding to at least one new family offour. Nelson also talks about the Bring a Friend programthat has prizes including trips to Sun Valleyand to Utah, as well as the Learn to Ski and SnowboardMonth.www.bringafriend.orgwww.skiandsnowboardmonth.orghttp://skiingbusiness.com/13711/newswire/one-mans-view-on-growing-the-snowsportsindustry/■ Skier visits decrease -15% from 60.54 million to51 million visits for the 2011-12 season based on preliminaryestimates from the National Ski Areas Associationreleased May 2012. Low snowfall drovethese results with snowfall down in the Southeast -13.9%, Northeast -13%, Pacific Southwest -11.7%,Midwest -10.6%, Rocky Mountain -0.8%, and PacificNorthwest -0.8%. This challenging season had the2nd lowest snowfall in 21 years and lowest nationalaverage resort snowfall since 1991/92, which had50.8 million visits. A total of 50% of the ski areasopened late and 48% closed early.■ Snowsports market sales for August to March2012 versus a year ago declined -3.8% ($135 million)to $3.4 billion and -12% in units according to Snow-Sports Industries America and Leisure TrendsGroup. For units sold by sales channel: online/internetstores up +10%, specialty shops down -14%,chain stores down -17%.■ PyeongChang, South Korea was selected by theInternational Olympic Committee in July 2011 tohost the 2018 Olympic Winter Games. Locations includeYongpyong Resort (alpine skiing: slalom andgiant slalom), Jungbong (alpine skiing: downhill,super G and combined), Bokwang Phoenix Park(freestyle skiing and snowboard), and Alpensia Resort(ski jumping, nordic). Sochi, Russia is hostingthe 2014 Olympic Winter Games.■ Lindsey Vonn wins 4th overall FIS AlpineWorld Cup title in March 2012, passing U.S. PhilFar West Skier’s Guide 2O12 - 2O13 55▼ ▼ ▼ ▼ ▼