HomeMy WebLinkAbout2003-33 Mt. Ashland AlternativeRESOLUTION NO. 2003- '?*0~
A RESOLUTION REQUESTING THE FOREST SERVICE
TO CONSIDER A COMMUNITY-BASED ALTERNATIVE IN
THE FINAL ElS FOR THE MT. ASHLAND SKI AREA
Recitals:
A. The citizens of Ashland have a demonstrated need, interest and commitment to
responsible watershed stewardship that protects the municipal water supply,
B. The Forest Lands Commission prepared a 2003 City Forest Lands Restoration
Project that acknowledges "forest ecosystems are complex and dynamic and that we
cannot understand completely how to manage the interlocking ecological functions of a
healthy watershed;" the project directs that management activities be based on
thorough site evaluations by experts; that we will continue to draw from the experience
of the city's own site-work over the past six years; and that monitoring protocols will be
continued and broadened to allow for adaptive management; and
C. One of the goals adopted by the Ashland Watershed Stewardship Alliance in 1999 is
to sustain and restore the watershed's capacity to absorb, store and distribute quality
water by sustaining and restoring soil health, restoring native vegetation, especially
grasses and forbs, re-establishing and maintaining sufficient and effective ground
cover, and lowering stream sediment loads; and
D. The City of Ashland established a partnership with the US Forest Service through a
Memorandum of Understanding in 1929 and has cooperated on management of the
watershed for water values since then; and
E. A coalition of the Headwaters Environmental Center, ski area users and Ashland
residents has drafted an alternative that modifies Alternative 3 in the Draft
Environmental Impact Statement and which is known as the Community Alternative, the
components of which are attached; and
F. The Council determines that the Community Alternative merits analysis by the Forest
Service as an additional alternative in the final Environmental Impact Statement.
THE CITY OF ASHLAND RESOLVES AS FOLLOWS:
The Forest Service should analyze the Community Alternative as a separate alternative
in the final Environmental Impact Statement for the Mt. Ashland Ski Area. This request
is not intended to be an endorsement of the alternative itself.
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This resolution takes effect upon signing by the Mayor.
This resolution was read by title only in accordance with Ashland Municipal Code
§2.04.,090 duly PASSED and ADOPTED this Z.~ day of_
Barbara Christensen, City Recorder
,2003.
SIGNED and APPROVED this ¢~ dayof et_..+ ,2003.
Paul Nolte, City Attorney
Alan W. DeBoer, Mayor
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Components of the Community Alternative:
New Terrain
Install the "Dream Ridge Lift" that runs along the ridge next to the Middle Branch area
and provides lift access to the top of the Caliban run for beginner and intermediate level
skiers as well as for wilderness backcountry skiers and snowboarders in the Middle
Branch area.
Install the "North Ridge Lift" (from Alternative #5) and beginning terrain near the existing
Sonnet run. This new lift would be located near other beginner terrain and the lodge,
where beginners are more likely to use it.
Install a lift and clear additional terrain in the Poma area to provide additional race
training terrain.
Install the LC-13 from the base of the Windsor lift to the top of the Caliban run to
provide cross mountain access for beginner and intermediate skiers and snowboarders.
Currently, beginners must navigate terrain that is significantly more challenging at the
top of the Ariel lift in order to get to the beginner and intermediate terrain of the Dream
and Caliban runs.
Extend the Caliban and Dream runs and create new intermediate level terrain on the
ridge.
Alter the slope of the Sonnet run to remove the steep upper section for beginners.
Widen existing runs to alleviate congestion and increase usable terrain.
Diverse Recreational Experiences
Build a snow tubing facility and lift to offer lower cost winter recreation opportunities to
the non-skiing and snowboarding public. We are advocating that this tubing facility be
designed to take advantage of natural lanes in this area to reduce the impact to old
growth trees and reduce the potential wind problems that tubers will face if the tubing
facility is a large open clearcut.
Create the opportunity for wilderness, backcountry skiing in the Middle Branch that is
accessible by lift.
Allow experimental glading on part of the existing ski area tree islands to increase the
ability of users to ski through the trees.
Skier/Snowboarder Services
Enlarge and remodel the existing lodge to accommodate current use as well as
anticipated future increases in skier visits.
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Build ticket booths near the parking lot and a rental shop near the lodge to increase the
efficiency of the customer service operations.
Replace the expansion of the main parking lot with a shuttle that runs from the base of
the access road on busy weekends and holidays.
Build additional parking for the tubing facility and widen the road between the main
parking lot and the back lot.
Skier/Snowboarder Safety
Provide an emergency egress route from the base of LC6 to the bottom of the Windsor
chairlift to evacuate injured skiers.
Widen the Aisle 2 area to reduce congestion and increase skier safety
Phasinq
Initiate the restoration projects identified in the DEIS before any additional work is done
on the proposal.
Make upgrades to customer service (lodge, ticket buildings, etc.), add beginner terrain
near the lodge, and widen Aisle 2 in the first phase.
Record of Decision
The Forest Service should analyze the Mt. Ashland Ski Area proposal in its entirety, but
issue the decision for the proposed Mt. Ashland Ski Area expansion as two separate
decisions. One decision will include the two most controversial aspects of the proposal
-expansion into the Middle Branch area and expansion of the main parking lot. The
ether decision will include all other aspects of the expansion plan. This will have the
effect of isolating the most controversial aspects of the plan while allowing the non-
controversial aspects to proceed.
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