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Show Forester Concerned About Impact of Olympics Regional Eo r e s t e r Vern llamre, Ogden, Utah, Ut-ah, today expressed concern con-cern about some significant signi-ficant aspects of the possible pos-sible selection of Salt Lake City and the Wasatch Wa-satch Front area for the 1976 Winter Olympic Games. He pointed out that a number of the Olympic activities would undoubtedly be carried out on National Forest lands in the vicinity of Salt Lake City, if the local proponents' proposal propo-sal is accepted by the International Olympic Committee. He stressed the need for considerable additional addit-ional information and extensive invironmental studies to determine the full impact that the Olympics Ol-ympics would create in the Wasatch Front area before any irreversible actions are planned or taken there. "In view of the urgent need for such information informa-tion if the Salt Lake City proposal is accepted, accep-ted, I believe it would be essential that a site evaluation committee be established promptly, for at least the downhill ski events," Mr. Hamre said. "Such a committee should include represe-natives represe-natives of the Forest Service, the Utah Department Depar-tment of Natural Resources, Re-sources, the Utah Ski Association, the Mayor of Salt Lake City, and the local Olympic Committee." Com-mittee." "We are encouraged by the position taken by Salt Lake City proponents propo-nents that no additional facilities for the Olympics Olym-pics should be built in the canyons and that the games should be scaled down in size and returned return-ed to amateur competition," compe-tition," said Mr. Hamre. "However, even without construction of additional additio-nal major facilities in the canyons, the environmental envi-ronmental impacts created by an event such as the Olympics could be immense. Among the major problems involved involv-ed is providing safe and adequate public transportation trans-portation into narrow canyons such as Little Cottonwood Canyon. Predicted use in this area, even without the Olympics, may already surpass what the environment envir-onment can tolerate unless un-less strict limitations or controls are initiated. Based on past records, unrestricted attendance at the games could be expected to exteed a hundred thousand people at one time." "The possibility of avalanches av-alanches in Little Cottonwood Cot-tonwood Canyon disrupting disrupt-ing the tight schedules for Olympic downhill ski events,- along with possible pos-sible hazards to the contestants con-testants and spectators, also should not be overlooked," over-looked," Hamre continued. contin-ued. "Pollution of and damage to Salt Lake City's watersheds are other possible significant signifi-cant impacts which would need to be avoided." avoid-ed." "Some system would be needed to assure that the thousands of skiers living in and visiting the Salt Lake City area are able to continue to enjoy daily use of most of its ski facilities, during the Olympic period. This, too, could pose a major problem," llamre said. Mr. llamre pointed out that, historically, the cost of providing facilities facili-ties for the Olympic Games has surpassed original estimates. Compliance with the National Environmental Policy Act will be necessary neces-sary for any site utilizing utiliz-ing National Forest lands that might be selected sel-ected for the Olympics. This will require preparation prep-aration of an environmental environ-mental impact statement by the Forest Service and submission to the Council of Environmental Environmen-tal Quality. "Public input, in-put, including hearings if appropriate, is an essential es-sential ingredient of any environmental impact statement," said Hamre. Hamre pointed out that the Forest Service is charged with the protection pro-tection of the environment environ-ment on the majority of the mountainous lands along the Wasatch Front. The Forest Service is also basically responsible responsi-ble for public use of National Forest lands and facilities. |