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Ski area awarded $100,000 grant By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings Gov. Ted Kulongoski has approved a $100,000 state economic development grant that will allow completion of a Final Environmental Impact Statement on the proposed expansion of the Mt. Ashland Ski Area. The Mt. Ashland Association, which governs the nonprofit ski area, and the U.S. Forest Service have paid the costs for lengthy environmental studies of expansion options. The grant will go to the Mt. Ashland Association, which had contributed $452,000 for consultants and Forest Service staff time as of August, according to Jeff Hanson, general manager for the ski area. The Forest Service has paid about $250,000 to $300,000, said Steve Johnson, leader of the Forest Service team that prepared a Draft Environmental Impact Statement released in July. The Oregon Economic and Community Development Department Regional Development Office, serving Jackson and Josephine Counties, had submitted the grant application, according to Hanson. "I'm delighted to see it going forward," Regional Development Officer Bruce Laird said Monday after hearing the governor had approved the request. The ski area plays an important direct economic role in Southern Oregon by providing jobs, but plays a larger indirect role by boosting the quality of life, he said. "When you have alpine recreation and cross country skiing available, that helps shape and define a community so that it's infinitely more attractive to a creative class. That creates a high-performance economy," Laird said. "In the big picture, this is a very big project indeed." The grant application was supported by numerous elected representatives, including Sen. Lenn Hannon, R-Ashland, according to Laird. "The Mt. Ashland Ski Area has a large economic impact to the community and the region," Hannon said. "People in Ashland and the Southern Oregon and northern California region who want to ski up there bring their money to stay in hotels, eat in restaurants and go shopping. It has a multiplying economic impact." Hannon also credited Rep. Alan Bates, D-Ashland, for working with him in support of the grant, and said the governor seemed impressed by the bipartisan effort. Ashland Mayor Alan DeBoer also had discussed the issue with Hannon. DeBoer, along with Medford's mayor, had decided to fly in DeBoer's plane to Salem during the legislative session, and took along Hanson and Mt. Ashland Association Board of Directors member Tom Reid, according to Hanson. The two mayors sat in on a meeting Hanson and Reid had with Hannon about the proposed expansion, Hanson said. But not everyone is pleased that the funding for a Final EIS has come through. "I find it amazing that the state has funds for that when we're closing schools and not able to fund the Oregon Health Plan," said Eric Navickas, environmental activist and expansion opponent. He said money would be better spent cleaning up erosion problems on the mountain rather than funding continued study of an expansion that will face expensive court challenges from opponents if approved. Hanson said the funding will allow continuation of a thorough environmental review, which will allow Forest Service officials to make an informed decision about expanding the ski area. "We're pleased there's an understanding this is an important process and needs to be done well. Funding of the planning is an important step forward in making the necessary improvements for the Mt. Ashland Ski Area to be successful in the long term," he said. Johnson said his preliminary estimate is that it will take another $40,000 to $50,000 to complete the Final Environmental Impact Statement, excluding costs for any new major studies. Costs include analyzing and writing responses to public comments, making corrections to the Draft EIS, adding new information and preparing a Record of Decision, which includes an explanation of the decision and mitigation measures that must be taken, he said. "The costs are highly dependent on what we get from the public, other agencies and even internally," Johnson said. "So far, we have not received any surprises. But substantive letters tend to come in late during the comment period." The comment period ends Oct. 23. Grant money not spent on finishing the environmental review would be used to reimburse the Mt. Ashland Association for past expenses, according to Hanson. "If the costs are somehow less (than $100,000), we would be reimbursed for some of the high expenses we've had on this," he said. "But history hasn't shown us that. History has shown us the costs are higher than the estimates." Last year, Ashland District Ranger Linda Duffy said work on the Draft EIS would halt because the Forest Service had not allotted funds to continue the analysis. Officials in the agency's Portland regional office later directed Duffy to continue work on the document after designating funding for completion of the draft. The state economic development department granted $500,000 in 1992 to aid in a community buyout of the ski area. LINKS: DAILY TIDINGS: Main | News | Sports | Obituaries | Opinion | Columnists | AP News | Subscribe | Archives | Weather | Classifieds | Contact Us | Privacy REVELS: Main | Calendar | Dining | Movies | T.V. OTHER: Road Cams Copyright 2003 Ashland Daily Tidings 541.482.3456. 1661 Siskiyou Blvd., Ashland, OR 97520. Ottaway Newspapers, Inc. - Advertisers -