After gaining approval from the Bureau of Land Management, Sun Valley Co. has the green light on the first phase of its master plan for Bald Mountain, which could have a new gondola whisking skiers from the base of River Run to a remodeled Roundhouse lodge by next winter.
Bill Baker, manager for the BLM's Twin Falls District, signed a record of decision on Monday, Dec. 17, for the Final Environmental Impact Statement of the Sun Valley Bald Mountain Master Plan's Phase 1 projects.
Barring successful challenges during the allotted 30-day appeal period, Sun Valley Co. will be able to implement its on-mountain improvements. Plans include 99 acres of additional snowmaking on Baldy, including on ski runs in Frenchman's Gulch. Snowmaking machines in place there could be started up this season. The plan calls for the realignment and grading of Olympic Lane, a new beginner ski run between Christin's Silver and Broadway on Seattle Ridge, removal of the Exhibition chairlift, a terrain park adjacent to Janss Pass and an expert tree-skiing run on Guyer Ridge.
In order to move ahead with the plan, Sun Valley Co. needed approval of both the BLM and the U.S. Forest Service, since the ski area is administered through two jointly issued special-use permits. Of the 3,332 acres under permit, 2,045 acres are on national forest land and 1,287 acres are on BLM land.
The Forest Service approved Phase 1 of the plan on Nov. 5. It is the first of three phases to be implemented over the next decade. Only Phase 1, which outlines on-mountain improvements over the next three to five years, was submitted to the federal agencies.
The plan was last updated in 1989, and most of those improvements have been implemented.
If changes in all three proposed phases are eventually approved, the mountain could receive up to $20 million in improvements. However, Sun Valley Co. is not required to implement all of the proposals included in the plan.
Projects slated for phases 2 and 3 include renovating the Lookout restaurant, installing a lift and novice runs near the top of Seattle Ridge and replacing the Cold Springs and Mayday fixed-grip lifts with detachable quad chair lifts.
The 30-day period for filing appeals means the process could be finalized by early next year.
Copies of the Sun Valley Resort (Bald Mountain) 2005 Master Plan—Phase 1 Projects Final Environmental Impact Statement and both the Forest Service and BLM records of decision are available in a number of formats, including at the Sawtooth National Forest Web site, www.fs.fed.us/r4/sawtooth.
Hard copies or copies of a CD-ROM can be obtained by contacting Sawtooth National Forest offices in Twin Falls at (208) 737-3200 or at the Ketchum Ranger Station at 622-5371.
