The US Forest Service violated federal environmental laws in approving the proposed expansion of the Mount Ashland ski area, an appeals court ruled last Monday. The judge said the Forest Service failed to properly evaluate the proposed expansion's impact on the Pacific fisher, a rare species similar to a mink that lives in old growth forests....The decision has been seen as a victory for environmental groups and precludes, for now, the long-disputed project at the ski resort 7 miles south of Ashland. The Oregon Natural Resources Council, now called Oregon Wild, and others sued the Forest Service after it approved plans that would allow the resort's operators to clear forests for new runs and lifts.
Since 1998, the Mount Ashland Association has been working on an expansion project that would add 16 ski trails, two chair lifts and about 200 parking spaces to the ski area. The expansion would also clear about 70 acres of trees in the headwaters of Ashland's municipal water supply.
After meeting with U.S. Forest Service officials to discuss the ramifications of a court decision against the Mount Ashland ski area expansion project, Mount Ashland Association officials announced Friday they intend to continue on the same course and that they feel confident their plans for expansion remain viable. They believe that a proposed chair lift that would travel through the steep areas of the expansion project identified by the appeals court could be built without causing increased run-off and sedimentation by adding extra support towers in areas away from the sensitive soils.
From:
http://www.oregonlive.com/news/oregonian/index.ssf?/base/news/1190687108264830.xml&coll=7
Also:
http://www.mailtribune.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070929/NEWS/709290311
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