Forest Service seeks input on year-round recreation

October 22, 2013 12:00 AM

SAN ANDREAS – The U.S. Forest Service is seeking public comments on how it will respond to proposals for year-round recreation at ski resorts operating in national forests.

In recent years, ski resorts including Bear Valley Mountain ski area on Highway 4 in Alpine County have been seeking to expand recreation in times outside the traditional ski season. Examples include disc golf, hiking and mountain biking.

Bear Valley is already offering such activities, with service to facilitate biking and rock climbing, and a disc golf course in the village area of the resort.

The Ski Area Recreational Opportunity Enhancement Act of 2011 specifies that in addition to the skiing already allowed by law on forest lands, resorts may also offer other activities such as zip lines, mountain bike terrain parks and trails, disc golf and ropes courses.

The Forest Service considers such recreation to be “outdoor,” “natural,” and “resource-based.” The agency uses those terms to distinguish such recreation from theme parks where a largely synthetic environment is created to serve quite different customer expectations.

“This is another step forward in how the agency efficiently manages developed recreation areas, such as ski areas, to accommodate the increasing demand for outdoor recreation experiences from the public,” U.S. Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell said. “It also opens the door for the prospect of a larger economic boost to forest-dependent communities and the nation.”

 To see the proposed rules and for instructions on how to comment, go to www.fs.fed.us. Dec. 1 is the deadline for comments on the proposed guidelines for year-round recreation in ski resorts within national forests.