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Beaver Creek and Vail Ski Area Zoning Options
with the White River National Forest (WRNF) Plan Revision
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Beaver Creek Ski Area, owned by Vail Resorts, Inc. (VRI), stated Oct. 14, 1999 that it wants to have McCoy Park zoned for downhill lift served skiing. Being fairly flat, McCoy Park is currently used for cross country skiing; it contains much mature forest and wetlands, and provides critical elk wintering habitat. VRI owns land in McCoy Gulch (yellow); their plans likely entail dropping lifts there to bolster profits from high end real estate development. The WRNF’s draft plan (Alternative D) proposes to limit ski areas to their currently permitted boundaries, which would eliminate the McCoy Park zoning for developed skiing. Yet Vail Resorts is lobbying to zone the area for downhill lift served skiing despite expert wildlife biologists' recommendations to the contrary. |
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Meanwhile, Vail Ski Area is still zoned with Alternative D for additional lifts in Category III (although lynx preservation concerns and public opposition may present significant hurdles to additional development there). Mushroom and Benchmark bowls are still on the table for development, and Game Creek may be considered for additional lift served skiing down to Minturn. |
Division of Wildlife Biologists on Further Ski
Area Expansion with the WRNF Plan Revision
(from their March, 1998 letter to the Forest Service)
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Last updated October 30, 2000
© Colorado Wild, 2000