Lines in the snow
Proposal offers to resolve conflict between skiers and snowmobilers
"It took a long time for me to appreciate what it is skiers need
to go out and have a good experience. The skiers really do have a legitimate sport.
Its a fun thing to do, and likewise for the snowmobilers."
Kim Nilsen, Winter Recreation Coalition
By GREG STAHL
Express Staff Writer
One of the Wood River Valleys hottest recreation disputes appears on
the cusp of resolution.
Winter
Recreation Coalition members gathered at the Wood River Inn in Hailey on Monday night to
announce that theyve reached consensus on one of the valleys long-standing
recreation conflicts. The result, a map, will set aside motorized and non-motorized
recreation areas throughout the northern Wood River Valley. Members are pictured above.
Top row, left to right: Bill DeMun, Jack Haase and Chris Klick. Bottom row, left to right:
Bob Werth, Kim Nilsen, Andy Munter, Owen Downard, Kathie Rivers and Jim McClatchy. John
Craig and Nancy Monk are not pictured.
Sliding in just under a deadline set by Sawtooth National Forest
supervisor Bill LeVere, the Winter Recreation Coalition announced Monday that it has
reached consensus on the long-disputed shared use of public lands in the Wood River Valley
by backcountry and cross-country skiers and snowmobilers.
The Winter Recreation Coalition began in 1995 in an effort to resolve the
winter recreation conflict, and many local residents have participated since then.
"Those of us who have been involved in the process are so impressed
with the current groups passion, hard work and diligence," former member and
Blaine County Recreation District executive director Mary Austin Crofts said.
If LeVere approves the coalitions proposal, skiers and snowmobilers
will have a new map and boundaries to adhere to this winter. The boundaries are designed
to keep the two winter recreation groups separated when they play in the Wood River
Valleys white winter hills.
Earlier this year, LeVere set Oct. 1 as the cutoff date for the coalition
to propose a solution to the conflict, which has been growing in intensity over the past
two decades.
By yesterday morning, LeVere had not yet seen the proposal, which divides
the northern Wood River Valley into sport-specific sections (motorized and non-motorized),
but he said hes optimistic about what the group will submit.
"I kind of issued a challenge to them that Id much rather they
worked it out themselves than have the Forest Service do it for them," he said in a
Tuesday morning telephone interview. "Ill implement as much as I can. That was
my commitment, and Ill see it through."
At a press conference Monday afternoon, winter coalition membersfive
skiers and five snowmobilersdiscussed the boundaries theyve set and the long,
rough road to the consensus theyve finally reached.
"It took a long time for me to appreciate what it is skiers need to
go out and have a good experience," snowmobiler and coalition member Kim Nilsen said.
"The skiers really do have a legitimate sport. Its a fun thing to do, and
likewise for the snowmobilers.
Nilsen said the group actually went out on an excursion last winter to
partake of each others sports.
"We took them on a hair-raising snowmobile ride, and they took us on
a knee-breaking ski," he said. "We all had a lot of fun."
Mediator Bob Werth, who has been working with the parties, added that
after skiing and snowmobiling, the group convened in the Boulder Yurt and had a very
positive discussion as snow accumulated outside.
"It was really a magical moment," group member Kathie Rivers
said.
The groups members also agreed that they no longer perceive the
debate as an "us-versus-them" issue.
"I dont really see that there were concessions,"
snowmobiler and group member Chris Klick said. "The whole thing was a give and take.
This was not an adversarial relationship. We are just 10 people who got together to work
on a map, who happened to be five snowmobilers and five skiers."
The result of the over 100 hours of meetings the group has held since
Christmas is a map that divides the northern Wood River drainage into 12 sections.
Boundaries should be easily identifiable, using ridges, rivers and roads.
Six of the areas are designated as non-motorized, and four are designated
motorized. Skiers, hikers or snowshoers should "expect to encounter motorized
use" in the motorized areas, though they will not be prevented from entering,
according to a description of the areas compiled by the coalition.
In the Hyndman Basin section, snowmobilers will not be allowed until March
15. After March 15, the area will be open to both groups of users. In another section,
which hasnt been finalized yet, a restricted snowmobile corridor from Baker Creek
over Galena Summit may be established.
The entire area surrounding Galena Lodge will be established as
non-motorized, with the possible exception of the corridor over Galena summit.
One stumbling pointalbeit smallthe group encountered this
winter was when the Boulder Yurt was burned by arsonists. Some members of the skiing
community pointed fingers at snowmobilers following the incident, though no one has yet
been charged with the crime.
The Winter Coalitions next meeting following the yurt arson was a
tense one, Rivers said, but then reflected optimistically: "Chaos sparks
growth."
"This group decided the person who burned the yurt down is a
criminal, period," Nilsen said.
In fact, mediator Werth said, the entire group plans to help rebuild the
yurt this fall.
The group hasnt finished climbing the controversial winter
recreation mountain yet, however.
If LeVere approves the plan, implementation and education will become the
next steps.
"To make this work, and work well, both groups need to come together
and understand each others likes and dislikes. We all need to understand that each
of us needs our space," group member Owen Downard said.
Signs would be posted and brochures printed, but the winter coalition
members will count heavily on education and communication within the recreation groups.
The group will need a budget to implement the program, but amounts needed
were not set forth at the press conference. It would probably be funded in conjunction
with the Forest Service, the Blaine County Recreation District and by soliciting grants.
At the press conference, it was apparent that winter coalition members
were gratified to have finally reached consensus on the issue.
"In the Wood River Valley, people take their fun very, very
seriously,"snowmobiler Klick said.
Downard continued:
"Im sure youre all aware that there are spots here that
are extremely contentious. Although I found a lot of this terribly frustrating, it was
very gratifying."