Forest Service denies Solitude’s Silver Fork expansion
The entrance to Solitude Mountain Resort
The U.S. Forest Service has denied Solitude Mountain Resort’s proposal to expand the ski area boundary on 182 acres in Silver Fork Canyon.
According to the Forest Service, the proposal “didn’t comply with federal regulations governing recreation special uses”, and that allowing expansion into “adjacent, highly valued undeveloped areas is not consistent with the 2003 master plan and the public interest.” They also cited watershed issues as part of the denial.
Solitude originally planned to take over the entire Silver Fork Drainage, including the Meadow Chutes and West Bowl, allowing resort skiers to have access to what is popular backcountry terrain. But in April, they scaled back that proposal to 182 acres on the east side of Silver Fork Creek. This is in comparison to the 463 acres proposed in the original plan.
That revised proposal has been denied.
To accomodate the Silver Fork expansion, a new lift would have been installed, and the Honeycomb Return lift would have required a realignment.
Although disappointed in the decision, Solitude owner David DeSeelhorst plans to re-submit expansion plans in the future after the next revision of the master plan.
Now that Solitude’s expansion hopes have been rejected, it will be interesting to see how the Forest Service reacts to Snowbird’s massive plan to grow into Mary Ellen Gulch and add a second tram that will take skiers to American Fork Twin Peaks. The Forest Service should come to a decision on that issue this fall.
Source: Salt Lake Tribune.
