Eldora, CO – The U.S. Forest Service has denied Eldora’s appeal of its decision regarding expanding the Colorado ski resort.

After nearly three years of planning, environmental analysis and public input, and facing a strong aversion to expanding Eldora’s boundaries from environmentalists, the Arapaho & Roosevelt National Forests in early October only partially approved Eldora’s master development plan.  While various lift and facility upgrades were approved, the Forest Service’s decision deferred all expansion and improvements outside the existing ski area’s special use permit boundary — the resort’s proposed Jolly Jug and Placer expansions, totaling 88 acres — to provide the opportunity for the ski area to work collaboratively with interested parties on these more controversial elements of the project.

Eldora appealed that decision on November 16. Yesterday, Deputy Regional Forester Maribeth Gustafson issued a letter to the resort indicating that decision is not able to be appealed as the resort chose to not participate in pre-decision objections process. She indicated that Eldora must first implement the approved improvements and thereafter the Arapaho and Roosevelt National Forests will then modify the resort’s special-use permit. Such a modification would trigger a renewed appeal window for Eldora.

Eldora’s management, however, has said that implementing some of the approved improvements would not make financial sense without the increased business that the deferred expansion areas would generate.