Earlier this month, it was announced that the previously proposed One Wasatch plan to connect 7 Utah resorts has been put on the back burner. Instead, Mountain Accord has a new proposal.
One Wasatch was favored by many including Ski Utah, the ski resorts themselves. It was also largely opposed by backcountry skiers and environmentalists, who raised concerns about the impact on backcountry skiing, traffic and drinking water.
Made up of local governments, resorts and environmentalists, Mountain Accord is proposing a new plan that outlines the future of the Wasatch in terms of ski resorts, transportation, development and watershed. Rather than interlinking the resorts with lifts, they would be connected by bus or train. Much more of the previously unprotected backcountry terrain would be protected.
The current state of this plan is that the blueprint has been proposed and is open for public comment here. Public comment will be accepted through March 16th.
Meanwhile, In Switzerland
Two members of the Park City Council, a policy adviser, and two Summit County council members recently left for a trip to Europose to “study transportation systems in the Swiss Alps”, according to The Park Record. They specifically want to learn about ski lifts, gondolas, bus lines, trains and mountain tunnels. According to The Park Record, Mountain Accord helped organize this trip.
So, where does this leave us? We have a new plan, and they need public input. There is a Q&A and Open House this Tuesday, February 24th from 6:00 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at the Park City High School Lecture Hall. We encourage people to attend and let their opinions be known. Let’s make sure we make the right decisions for our community and our future!