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Show v I "WIT V; t I w VIMVk' FRIDAY. FEBRUARY 9,1990 Signpost VOLUME 50. ISSUE 51 THE ,5v... A r. A RMED WITH an umbrella, WSC student News .... page 2 e Editorial . . page 4 After Hours page 5 Sports .... page 8 Lisa Jubeck makes her way to class Inside SFAC mokes final budget allocations 1990 WSC grads deserve V diplomas Top ten compact discs, Part II Lady Wildcats host Portland State WEBER STATE COLLEGE ... i slit L'L during Wednesday's snow storm. Environmentalists claim victory in Snowbasin deal By Kathleen Montoya Senior reporter of The Signpost Local environmentalists are claiming a partial victory in their fight to stop the trade of public lands at Snowbasin to private developer Earl Holding, according to WSC student Linda Sauer, who founded a coalition to block the land swap in the spring of 1989. The Forest Service announced Wednesday that it would offer 220 acres of public land in trade to Holding, instead of the 1320 acres the investor had requested. The land was to be used to establish a year-round destination resort at Snowbasin. "We feel that the Forest Service took a responsible position," Sauer said. "But, as far as the environment is concerned, any development is a loss." The decision was a compromise between protecting public lands and allowing development of a viable four-season resort, according to Forester Glenn Casamassa. "One of the most important factors was the idea of maintaining the public trust," Casamassa said. House approves University status By Paul C. Parkinson Managing editor of The Signpost The state Legislature gave its final nod of approval Wednesday to historic legislation that will make Weber State College a university by 1991. Senate bill 101 passed the House 56-13 lacking only Gov. Norman Bangerter's signature to become law. The governor, who supports the measure, has scheduled a signing ceremony Wednesday, February 14. No specfic time has been set. Attempts to amend the bill with a stipulation requiring The public had raised concerns that the proposed Snowbasin development with its condominiums and single-family residences might cause a landslide on the instable site. Also, there were concerns that the resort would endanger the local water supply. The proposal to trade a smaller parcel of land would minimize those concerns, according to Casamassa. The decision was also aimed at encouraging development at Snowbasin. The Forest Service wouldlike to see Snowbasin expand its facilities on the 220 acres of public land offered in the trade plus an adjacent 7,000 acre parcel that is already owned by Holding. "We feel that it's an economically viable option," Casamassa said. Philosophy Professor Jock Glidden, who has been an outspoken critic of the land exchange, said that he didn't feel that it would be profitable for Holding to build on Snowbasin with only 220 acres because the cost of running a sewage line up to the area would be greater than the profits would justify. (See LAND page 7) Board of Regent approval for any change in WSC's mission failed during Senate debate last week. Regent spokeswomen Vikki Varela said board members were not expecting such an amendment anyway. "They (the Legislature) have already given the Regents responsibility to define the roles and missions of the state's institutions," she said. Once signed by the governor, the legislation will not take effect until January 1, 1991. WSC officials have yet to announce whether graduates prior to the date will receive 'university diplomas. |