Snowmass Village, CO – An environmental group that lost its effort to block Snowmass’ expansion of gladed terrain on Burnt Mountain has appealed that approval.
The Ark Initiative, based in Wyoming, filed its appeal earlier this month in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia. They argue that Aspen Skiing Co. should be barred from future lift access and grooming on the 230 acres of terrain, previously designated as out of bounds and popular with backcountry skiers, that first opened to skiers and riders this past winter following tree thinning last fall. They’re appealing to try to force the U.S. Forest Service to go back and re-examine whether or not 600 to 1,000 acres on Burnt Mountain, of which the new glades are a part, should be deemed roadless, a designation that would prevent lift access and grooming. It was upon this theory that the group initially objected to the Burnt Mountain expansion, and subsequently lost.
U.S. District Court Judge James Boasberg ruled last October that the 2011 Colorado Roadless Rule does not include land within designated ski area boundaries, and lifted an injunction barring Snowmass crews from thinning trees on Burnt Mountain. Snowmass’ Master Development Plan (MDP), already approved by the Forest Service in 1994 and revised in 2003, includes potential East and West Burnt Mountain chairlifts.
While the resort has already indicated that it’s no longer interested in the East Burnt Mountain lift, it’s still considering a future West Burnt Mountain lift paralleling the resort’s Long Shot trail. The glades on Burnt Mountain were themselves also part of Snowmass’ approved MDP.
Separately from the current appeal, the U.S. Forest Service is currently considering a request by the resort to thin trees on the traverse back to the Two Creeks base from the bottom of the new Burnt Mountain glades. The Ark Initiative’s attorney, William Eubanks II, has indicated that environmental groups are likely to file another lawsuit if approval is granted to thin trees along the exit traverse.