This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated. It is provided only for personal research purposes and may not be reprinted.
Re "Senate resolution pushes ski interconnect" (Tribune, Feb. 21):
While the text of proposed Utah Senate Concurrent Resolution 10 does not directly support any single "interconnect" ski lift project, its timing with the current SkiLink debate is purposeful.
I cannot divine the intentions of sponsoring Sen. Wayne Niederhauser, R-Sandy, but the resolution seemingly expresses support for SkiLink and the proposed federal bills to sell 30 acres of national forest lands to the Canadian Talisker Corp. There have been numerous misrepresentations by Talisker.
First, the Wasatch-Cache National Forest plan allows for no ski-area expansion. SkiLink is not allowed.
Therefore, Talisker has promoted bills to sell land to them to circumvent the Forest Service's plan, setting a terrible precedent for public land management.
Further, the path of SkiLink dissects the proposed Bear Trap Wilderness, which currently has no development. Bear Trap is critical in our watershed because it contains wetlands that filter our water.
Importantly, SkiLink is not a transportation project, as purported by Talisker. It is ski-area expansion. SkiLink requires a minimum of five lift rides, an hour of travel and $100. Talisker's "report" used travel data from the top 10 days, drastically overestimating its impact on traffic.
Maura Hahnenberger
Sandy