Breckenridge, CO – Vail Resorts, Inc. has received approval from the U.S. Forest Service for a 543-acre terrain expansion in the Peak 6 area of Breckenridge Ski Resort in Colorado’s Summit County.

Peak 6 is slated to include 400 acres of lift-served terrain and 143 acres of hike-to terrain, boosting the resort’s total skiable acreage by 23 percent. Breckenridge officials hope to open the new terrain for the 2013-14 ski and snowboard season, including adding a new high-speed, six person chairlift and a new fixed-grip chairlift to access the Peak 6 area.

“Peak 6 will be a tremendous addition to Breckenridge, significantly improving the guest experience by adding both new terrain and lift capacity,” said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts. “In addition, the new terrain provides access to intermediate runs and high alpine bowl skiing that will be enjoyed by a wide variety of our guests.”

The Peak 6 approval process began with project scoping in 2007. The approval comes in the form of a U.S. Forest Service Record of Decision dated August 15, 2012 after completion of a Final Environmental Impact Statement.

The Peak 6 expansion has been the subject of much local and environmental consternation, and remains subject to appeal for 45 days beginning on August 24. Scott Fitzwilliams, supervisor of the White River National Forest, indicated that he supported the expansion plan to accommodate increased traffic at Breckenridge and reduced skier congestion, while opponents argued that developing ski facilities on Peak 6 would disrupt wildlife, including the Canada Lynx, and affect the area’s natural resources. Backcountry skiers, who prize the terrain on Peak 6, opposed bringing the terrain in-bounds. Some community members fear that expanding onto Peak 6 will merely bring more visitors to Breckenridge, negating any positive effects on crowds and skier density.

“I understand the concerns of individuals within the community that feel Peak 6 will be a band-aid solution to the Purpose and Need, and in time, lift lines and trail densities will again be a problem as daily visitation continues to rise,” Fitzwilliams wrote in his Record of Decision. “I learned through this process that quality of life and social issue concerns within the Breckenridge community extend far beyond Breckenridge Ski Resort’s Peak 6 proposal. I also realized that no matter what my final decision would be, I would not be able to satisfy everyone’s expectations. That however, does not diminish the significant and effective outreach that occurred in conjunction with this process.”

If it survives any possible appeal, Peak 6 will be the first ski terrain expansion on U.S. Forest Service land in Colorado since 2008 and the first at Breckenridge since the Peak 7 expansion in 2002.