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Show the Utah ENTERPRISE Where theres smoke theres fire at Mirror Lake lodge by Sheri Poe Enterprise Staff Writer Climbing aboard a sinking ship can be financially advantageous if you can manage to stop the leak after the You crew has bailed out. either end up with a cheaply-gaine- d vessel or a long swim home. Such was the philosophy of Steve Putnam when he purchased all 3.200 shares of the Mirror Lake Lodge Corporation a year ago for $1 a share. The lodge was under a initiat"tentative" phase-ou- t ed by the U.S. Forest Service and it was Putnams hope to plug the widening "closure" gap and rebuild the recreation site following renewal of the leases. But the Forest Service has refused to renew the 4 special use permit for the property, and has denied the first of two appeals Putnam has made to the Service. His second appeal five-ye- fi.llov "All I ! A r critcri; o'Mlisv'd by liu infers. The 'teria Putnam speaks of was outlined by Steve A. Scott, forest ranger at the Kamas station near Mirror Lake. The basis for renewal of the lease, Scott said in a note to Putnam, was' "...need, plans for restoring improvements to meet state standards and estimate of their costs, services you would like to provide, proposed new facilities and anticipated sea- ar pending, Putnam expects to take the case to federal court if the outcome is not favorable. "From all corrcspondancc with the Forest Service, I gathered there was a possibility for renewal of the special use permit," Putnam said. The sights and sounds of (Christmas The sights and sounds of Christmas arc here at the Christmas Store - Modem Display. Miniature limits and regular lights. Indoor and outdoor decorations, ornaments, festive decor and figurines. The Unusual and the Unique - from the world over. Artificial Christmas Trees that look real as real. And, our items arc reasonably priced. Holiday Decoration Specialists for Business & Home son of use." Putnam claimed he met all the criteria and therefore considered he had permit renewal in the bag. But plans to build a $150,000 lodge to replace the structure which burned to the ground two years ago docs not constitute restoration of the site, the Forest Service countered. The site averaged almost $70,000 in yearly revenues in the 60s, Putnam said, but the figure dropped to less than $20,000 this past year. The Forest Service claims the decline demonstrates a lack of public need yet Putnam claimed even with limited facilities (only eight cabins in use this past summer) the site was profitable. Previous services at the site included the lodge, lunch-stan14 cabins, gas station, horse corral and row boats. The special permit issued to Mirror Lake Lodge five years ago stipulated the gas station be removed and that the lunchstand and horse corral be phased out. Putnam said he could replace these services only if the spcical use permit d, were approved, and that would enable him to find financing for the project. 436 South 7th Fast Friday 8 til 8 8 til 6 Saturday Monday 355-742- 7 There is a possibility the Forest .Service doesnt want competition operated for its q O Mirror Lake near the lodge, Putnam added. The campground is in direct competition with Putnam's enterprise, and lie claims the Forest Service has denied the lodge was open to the public when telephone inquiries were received at the Forest Service's Kamas office. Putnam accused Kamas forest rangers of harrasing him and blamed them for the arson fire which destroyed the Mirror Lake lodge two years ago, in his second appeal. Putnam was making initial efforts to buy out the 27 stockholders of the Mirror Lake Lodge corporation when Another the fire occurred. arson fire this summer coincided with the theft of 14 g stoves at the campsite. wood-burnin- "Someone definitely wants our place closed down," Putnam charged. The Federal Bureau of Investigation apparently smelled arson too, since it sent an agent from Denver last summer to The investigate the fires. investigation has been been concluded, state fire marshal arson specialist Kenneth Hancock, said. "The first fire was almost conclusively arson," Hancock explained.. "We have climin ated the possibility of transient campers. causing the first and second fires, since they would seek out the campsite for shelter. The arsonist was definitely someone who had some animosity for Putnam." Hancock said the continuing investigation into the fires should yield an arrest "very soon." He plans to request the forest rangers at the Kamas station to undergo a lie detector test before the Dec.31 expirationa date to determine if they could have been involved in the blaze. Past stock- government-- campground OLDSTREAM 3239384 holders have already undergone the test, he said. |