The executive committee of Utah鈥檚聽,聽an organization composed of ski industry professionals and conservation groups,聽unanimously approved a plan for the future development of the Wasatch Mountains聽at Sandy City Hall聽on Monday,聽according to聽. Mountain Accord鈥檚 goals are to improve transportation, protect the environment, and boost recreation and the economy in the Central Wasatch through land swaps, tunnels, and other forms of redesign.
Mountain Accord is not legally binding at this聽point, but some ski resorts have already agreed to swap some of their land for federal acreage and other incentives. Right now, 2,417 acres will go to the U.S. Forest Service (USFS)聽in exchange for 760 acres. Resorts including Alta, Snowbird, Solitude, and Brighton will also receive permits and approval to develop their base areas and more water for snowmaking.聽Curbed Ski聽reports that the land the resorts are getting is at the base of the mountains, since Mountain Accord wants to promote building up existing base areas rather than swallowing up more land.
A few big points remain undecided, such as whether a railroad will be built in Little Cottonwood Canyon and if a tunnel will be drilled to connect Little and Big Cottonwood Canyons,聽according to the聽. What will happen to the One Wasatch plan to connect the seven ski areas in the range, and how that will play out with the land exchanges, is also unknown. Ski Utah president Nathan Rafferty told the聽Tribune聽that the idea is still alive.
After the land swap research, public comment period, and EIS, the USFS will look into the proposals and decide whether to sign off on them.