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Alpenblogger NEWS 
Your Voice Matters!
Privately Collected Public Land
Use Tariff Extended
Fees Rise
Backcountry
enthusiasts camping in lot 3 have been surprised by an increase in
the land use tax being collected by Booth Creek security
forces this season. The fee which was grandfathered in last
season, after a no snow season the year before, has risen from $10
per night to $15 per night. The new fee also comes with a new
list of "rules" including "no music," and
restrictions on dogs. Last year campers were excluded from lot
3 by the private security force, for having a large BBQ grill on a
trailer. There are no electrical or other services included in
the land use fee, this is not a service, but a land use tax.
Lot 3 is open to public use as per the SUP
agreement the ski area has with the public. Campers
save your recipits! People are encouraged to contact
the USFS (Sean Wetterberg swetterberg@fs.fed.us
Winter Sports Specialist, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest) to
comment on this matter further.
Master Development Plan Update
As
of February 21, 2006 the Forest Service (USFS Mt.
Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest) received over 1500 comments from
concerned citizens regarding the commercial expansion plans for
Alpental, and the other three ski areas at Snoqualmie Pass in
Washington's central Cascades. Booth Creek Ski Holdings
Inc. along with their sub-contractor the SE
Group, plan to commercially develop Alpental's roadless
backcountry area for "resort-type" skiing, thus
eliminating certain "legendary" backcountry areas, and
turning them "in-bounds, " or just plain roping them off
altogether from public use. The controversial plan also
calls for a lift up to Knoll 1, a restaurant and "nature
trail" at the top of Denny Mountain, as well as a
gondola to the top.
The
MDP, written by the SE Group, which also did the
environmental review, also calls for logging certain old, and second
growth trees between Hyak, and what once was called Ski
Acres to "improve upon" an existing crossover
trail between Ski Acres (now called "central") and
the little used area of Hyak. This would hinder certain
wildlife corridors, and has environmentalists, including the Sierra
Club upset.
Logging
of "hazard trees" began at Alpental this March 2006 in
a riparian area on the headwaters of the South Fork Snoqualmie.
Slated to be developed into restrooms, children's ski school, ticket
sales buildings, and extra parking to increase the Comfortable
Carrying Capacity of the ski concession, the clearing took place
before the USFS released it's Record of Decision/Final
Environmental Impact Statement which was due this fall. The EPA
has expressed concerns over. building in riparian areas.
Your public comment has
already prevented a large maintenance shop from being built in the
uppermost lot at Alpental, which is also a riparian zone, as well as
the traditional start to every alpine climb and winter hike in the
Alpental area. Congratulations and thank you to those who
wrote in to the USFS concerning this. You are being heard!
Although the official comment period has ended you can still
continue to write the USFS concerning this plan, or other
concerns at Alpental by contacting Sean Wetterberg swetterberg@fs.fed.us
Winter Sports Specialist, Mt. Baker-Snoqualmie National Forest.
Camping Tax Update
Due
to the fact that the 2004/2005 season was virtually non-existent Booth
Creek was able to grandfather in a tariff on overnight land use,
or "camping" beginning in the 2005/2006 ski season.
The company has been trying for years to prevent overnight use of
this land and has instituted the fee in order to keep people who do
not pay, off the land. Last year thousands of dollars were
collected by Booth Creek's private security force from the
public, for using public land.
Because the ski area was able to get away with this tax, last year, Crystal
Mountain has followed suit this year, in a last minute decision,
also apparently charging a tariff to use public land.
More to come on this as the season unfolds.
Hikers Harassed with Bullhorn While
Climbing.
Hikers
and climbers this thanksgiving weekend were treated to unexpected
orders barked over a Booth Creek security force bullhorn
while skinning up the lower mountain. The security forces
ordered the climbers off the mountain claiming the climbers were
"trespassing" and that the mountain was
"closed." This is not the first time people have
been run off public land by Booth Creek security forces.
Lower Denny Mountain, where the hikers were traveling, is on
public land, and open to the public to use under conditions set
forth in the Special Use Permit, which
gives the ski concession permission to operate on public land.
Keep in mind, that certain areas may be temporarily closed for
safety during the ski concession operating season for avalanche
control work, and that uphill traffic may not be allowed on specific
downhill runs during open hours of actual lift operation to the
public. Closures are only temporary, check with Alpental Ski
Patrol for current information. This should not affect
backcountry access.
Freealpental.org misrepresented
online
A certain individual is making
things up and posting them online as if he were the webmaster here,
as well as signing our "contact" mailbox up for various
spam accounts. The IP address has been traced and
legal action is being taken. For more information please see
the letters page. Freealpental.org does
not post on any other page or forum, including "google
groups" or "TGR forum."
Freealpental.org will only post information on this website alone.
If you did not read it here,
it is not us doing the posting.
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