Report claims Maclay's ski resort not needed
by ROD DANIEL - Ravalli Republic
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A Forest Service needs assessment on downhill skiing in the Bitterroot and Lolo national forests does not support a ski area below Lolo Peak.
Conducted and written by Ed Ryberg, national winter sports program leader for the Forest Service, the 10-page study cites national and regional ski industry trends, local and regional ski capacity, projected demand, and climate. Taken together, the trends “argue against the need to increase ski-area capacity to accommodate growth in potential destination visitors to ski areas on the Lolo and Bitterroot National Forests,” the study concludes.
The results reveal a lack of national and regional demand for Bitterroot Resort, a so-called destination ski area proposed by Florence rancher Tom Maclay on Forest Service land bordering his ranch. And according to Hilary Wood of Friends of Lolo Peak, the study backs up what her group has been saying all along.
“Giving up our public lands to this ski resort is not a good deal for the public,” she said. “And this study provides yet another indication - on top of the widespread concern for the local economy, wildlife, water, scientific research and public access - that the proposal is not only completely incompatible with the management prescriptions on and around Lolo Peak, but also from a demand standpoint as well.”
Released last September, the study's stated purpose was to “provide information on the need for additional developed downhill skiing and snowboarding opportunities to be considered during the revision” of both forest land and resource management plans. Wood said it was supposed to be released then with the draft revised forest plan.
“We've had the report about a month,” she said. “We wanted to wait until the draft came out to make it public, but we decided we needed to get it out sooner.”
Maclay and Bitterroot Resort filed a second request last week to the Bitterroot National Forest to build both a Nordic and alpine ski area on Forest Service land northwest of Florence. In a press release, Maclay cited “expanded recreational and economic development opportunities for western Montana,” saying they “should be more fully considered.”
“We have the opportunity for a template for future planning that includes ... fabulous recreation close to a growing human population with growing recreational demand,” Maclay said.
But Wood said Ryberg's needs assessment refutes that very claim.
“They were aware of this study, yet they continue to say that the resort will bring people and money into the valley,” she said. “The study shows the opposite. It just goes to show this is not about skiing, rather it's about real estate.”
Bitterroot Resort spokespeople were not available for comment.
Reporter Rod Daniel can be reached at 363-3300 or rdaniel@ravallirepublic.com
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