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Expansion Could Bring More Jobs By Vickie Aldous Ashland Daily Tidings While many are looking at the economic impacts of an expansion on the ski area itself, others are thinking about possible benefits to the Ashland and Rogue Valley economies. The ski area attracts winter visitors to offset the seasonal downturn in tourism, according to the draft environmental impact study commissioned by the U.S. Forst Service and recently released by Cogan Owens Cogan LLC. The Ashland Chamber of Commerce board has endorsed an expansion, according to Sandra Slattery, executive director of the chamber. An expansion would allow the ski area to expand its market share and attract inexperienced skiers, she said. That in turn could boost winter tourism as families with members of varying abilities come to Ashland to enjoy the ski area, stay at hotels, shop and eat at restaurants, according to Slattery. Destination skiers, as opposed to local skiers, now make up 15 percent of the ski area's visitors, according to the DEIS. "The more of a family destination it can be, it provides for people to say, 'Hey! Let's go to Ashland for the weekend,'" Slattery said. Not counting the temporary boost in construction jobs, an expansion would boost employment at the ski area by the equivalent of seven to 13 full-time workers, and would indirectly increase Rogue Valley employment by the equivalent of 3.7 to 6.9 full-time workers, according to the DEIS. An expanded ski area could play a role in attracting more students to Southern Oregon University and employees to area businesses, some believe. According to a random survey conducted by senior SOU geography students Brian Garner and Keith Spernak, 33 percent of students said the Mt. Ashland Ski Area was an influencing factor in their decision to enroll at the university. For former Ashland City Councilor and current Mt. Ashland Association member Pat Acklin, expanding the ski area is a matter of preserving an important community asset. After a repeated history of financial failure, and again faced with financial collapse in the early 90s after low snow years, the ski area became a community-owned nonprofit purchased through fundraising and a state economic development grant. "It's our responsibility to position the organization to be successful in the future," Acklin said. "The onus is on us as board members - particularly because it's a nonprofit organization operating on behalf of the public out there. A lot of people have invested their money to save Mt. Ashland. We have a responsibility to assure continued success." 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 -