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Letter: In lashing out, Alta’s manager fails to address pertinent environmental concerns

( Steve Griffin | Tribune file photo) Powder skiing at Alta Ski Resort. Alta will be part of a new ski pass offered by Alterra Mountain Co., which bought Deer Valley last summer.

Mike Maughan, general manager of Alta Ski Resort, lashed out at Save Our Canyons’ Carl Fisher for Fisher’s assessment of Alta’s controversial new development plan (The Tribune, April 18). Unfortunately, for someone who spends so much time at altitude, Maughan decided to take the low road, attacking Fisher rather than the merits of his argument. Those merits Maughan overlooked? Alta’s effort to clutter the majestic Mount Baldy with an unnecessary tram, the bulldozing of open space for additional parking spots and the ski lift company’s destruction of wetlands despite a written plea from Salt Lake City Public Utilities, Sandy City and Metro Water of Salt Lake City requesting that Alta not proceed with the wetland destruction. Alta proceeded anyway.

While Maughan is right that Alta did some wetlands remediation, as required by the Forest Service, this doesn’t change the fact that previously undisturbed wetlands were destroyed, nor does it make up for the fact that remediated wetlands are never as effective in their environmental services as their uncompromised counterparts.

My only solace reading Maugham’s letter was that the time he spent writing his argument was time he wasn’t able to spend coming up with another scheme to destroy Alta’s natural beauty.

Elliott Hansen, Salt Lake City