A recent decision by a Utah county to permit
backcountry helicopter skiing on a private ranch above Salt Lake
City has mobilized opposition.
Heli-skiing
opponents, including nearby residents and backcountry skiers, worry
that the decision will open the door to more helicopter ski lifts
along the Wasatch Front. The company awarded the permit is already
talking about flights to another private skiing area while a
different company that currently drops skiers on Forest Service
land has just applied to renew its five-year permit.
Steve Lewis, co-founder of Heli-Free Wasatch,
says his group is considering pushing for restrictions, or even an
outright ban on heli-skiing: “We’ve now got the public screaming
for natural quiet in special places like the Grand Canyon,” he
points out.
The companies are sure to fight
back, says Forest Service ranger Mike Sieg. One helicopter operator
told Sieg that if his agency tried to change things and make it
harder for the operator to pursue a living, a “nuclear war” would
start, he says.
In the meantime, backcountry
users are trying to “track out” the area to discourage air tours.
Says Lewis: “If a heli-skier sees other users have already made
runs, he’s going to ask himself, “Why did I pay $400 to take six or
seven runs on a slope that’s been carved up by a bunch of
snowboarders?” “
” Chris
Smith
This article appeared in the print edition of the magazine with the headline Utahns fight over flights.
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