This is an archived article that was published on sltrib.com in 2012, and information in the article may be outdated.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.
Provo • Snowbird wants to swap some of its property, but nobody's sure exactly what land the resort wants from the U.S. Forest Service.
"We haven't got a formal proposal from [Snowbird]," Sylvia Clark, district ranger for the Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest, told the Utah County Commission on Tuesday. "We have formally accepted a proposal from them to give us a proposal."
While there has been some discussion about tracts in both American Fork and Little Cottonwood canyons, Clark said nothing specific has been identified.
In June 2010, Snowbird sought Forest Service approval to expand into Mary Ellen Gulch in American Fork Canyon.
In October of this year, Utah County modified its ordinances to permit Snowbird to install ski lifts, zip lines and other equipment in that canyon. And the Salt Lake County Council recently approved changes that would allow Snowbird to build a mountain coaster within the resort itself.
Emily Moench, Snowbird's communications manager, said she did not have specific information on the resort's planned land swaps with the Forest Service.
In an earlier interview, she said the resort has no immediate plans to build attractions in Utah County. She did rule out putting a coaster on the Utah County side of the resort.
Clark said the procedure for trading land is to first learn which parcels the resort wants then find property of comparable value to swap.
Commission Chairman Larry Ellertson said Utah County wants to be a participant in land-swap talks so residents can weigh in on any proposals.
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