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Thread: Wasatch Backcountry Skiing Permit to come?

  1. #1

    Wasatch Backcountry Skiing Permit to come?

    30 November, 2010
    SO Forest Service Office
    Intermountain Forest Service Supervisor Harv Forsgren
    Forest Service, USDA
    8236 Federal Building
    125 South State Street
    Salt Lake City, Utah 84138
    Tel. 801-236-3400
    Fax. 801-524-3172

    Uinta-Wasatch-Cache Forest Service Supervisor Brain Ferebee
    324 25th Street
    Ogden, Utah 84401
    Tel. 801-625-5306 (Ogden Regional Office 4)
    Fax. 801-625-5359
    Forest Service Legal Council Ken Paur
    507 25th Street
    Ogden, Utah 84401
    Tel. 801-625-5112 (Ogden Ranger District)
    Fax. 801-625-5914

    RE: PETITION FOR EQUAL SKI TAXATION (Tri-Canyon backcountry Forest Service ski permit fees) by private land owners to require Forest Service permits for all backcountry skiers in Tricanyon
    area (Big Cottonwood Canyon, Millcreek Canyon, and Little Cottonwood Canyon), to perform Forest Service's backcountry avalanche control responsibilities, and to get a fresh Salt Lake District Ranger


    Dear Forest Supervisor Harv Forsgren,

    As you know, there has been years of conflict between Cardiff Fork landowners and backcountry skiers in the Cardiff bowl area of Big Cottonwood Canyon. We would like to propose a long term solution.

    We would like the Forest Service to require permits for skiers using Forest Service property in the Tricanyon area (Tri-canyon backcountry ski permit). A proposed fee schedule of $3 per day or $300 per season could generate an additional $100,000 with just 350 season permits. That's a 10% increase in the total Forest Service ski fees collected in Utah from backcountry ski users who have heretofore been non-payers. The permits would be available only to those who have acknowledged the private land
    inholdings of the backcountry ski permit area, have been supplied information about the boundaries of these inholdings, and sign a liability waiver in favor of the Forest Service, State, County, and private landowners. We believe that this simple step would provide a permanent solution to the recurrent and
    sometimes severe conflict that occurs in this area.

    Silver Fork, Cardiff Fork, and Day's Fork offer world renowned backcountry skiing. Myself, Kevin Tolton, Cyle Buxton and others are private land owners in Cardiff Fork and Day's Fork.

    We lease our land to Wasatch Powderbirds. Our lease rates are devalued by the Forest Service artificial heli-skiing ban on Sundays and Mondays. The Forest Service has for many years, participated in a pattern of harassing private canyon property owners in an attempt to get their land for cheap. In many cases, the Forest Service has teamed up with dubious environmental groups like Salt Lake City Public Utilities. As part of this scheme the Forest
    Service has neglected and failed to perform key Forest Service land management responsibilities essential in providing backcountry user safety. For example, the Forest Service has failed to conduct thorough land title research which would lead to proper cadastral surveys to be able to accurately define and mark Private Property-Forest Service boundaries.

    This in turn has led to needless conflicts between private canyon land owners and backcountry users who are intentionally un-informed or mis-informed about the demarcation between private and public lands. The Forest Service has also failed to conduct the legally required title research specified by the
    Forest Service Manual which would show the valid, legal, existing rights-of-way to private property inholdings. In the case of Cardiff Fork, we have private property surrounded by a Forest Service
    inholding. This failure by the Forest Service has lead to public land user conflicts with private canyon land owners and contention that has also put the Forest Service in a position of violating its own
    regulations. The current policy of deferring to the

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  3. #2
    This was a year ago, I'm curious if anything has come of it.

  4. #3
    That is one hell of a letter. I didn't realize that I was an elite skier. I back country ski all the time, but am not very good at it, only been skiing for a few years. Doesn't seem the authors really get why people go into the back country. I certainly would not want the forest service to do any avalanche control work outside what is needed to keep the roads and resorts safe. Part of the fun of back country skiing is not knowing with 100% certainty that you will not trigger an avalanche.

    The letter writers have lost there pioneering/risk taking spirit. Thats too bad as that is one of the qualities that has made America such a great country. Seems like people are getting soft in the belly and the head.

    Has anyone ever heard of someone bringing a lawsuit against a property owner because they were caught in an avalanche?

  5. #4
    It seems the letter starts out pleading for money from backcountry skiers, but then turns it's focus on reopening heliskiing on Sundays and Mondays. Kind of confusing.

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