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Show Volume II, Issue XI THE OGDEN VALLEY NEWS Page 5 1 June 2000 LAND SWAP cont. from page 1 want me to do,” Godfrey said. “I’m happy to get the ball rolling.” Jock Glidden, an Ogden resident and Sierra Club member who lives at the mouth of Taylor Canyon, applauded the federal agency for not backing down to Holding and for insisting the canyon be part of any deal. “But that does not blind us to the fact that the whole trade is detestable because it turns over invaluable land to a huge developer and makes it available only to the rich and famous,” said Glidden. “The parts do not necessarily equal the whole.” Holding acquired 14 parcels of land in Rich, Box Elder, Cache and Weber counties previously put on a Forest Service wish list. On Tuesday, he conveyed title to those lands to the agency. Minus the Snowbasin acreage, the Wasatch-Cache National Forest will grow by 10,300 acres as a result of the deal. “A significant benefit of this exchange includes increased access — access not only to these parcels, but to areas of national forest land previously blocked by private lands to public use for hiking, hunting and other activities,” said Forest Service Supervisor Bernie Weingardt. In addition to protecting open space and habitat for wildlife and endangered plant species, the public gets 15 1/2 miles of new trail access, 36 miles of perennial and intermittent streams, and three miles of new road access, Weingardt said. Holding gets what he has wanted since purchasing the ski resort in 1984: land to build an upscale resort community mimicking his swanky Sun Valley, Idaho, resort. “Sinclair’s current focus is to prepare major new skiing, visitor and support facilities at Snowbasin for the downhill events of the 2002 Winter Olympics,” said Sinclair spokesman Clint Ensign in a prepared statement. “These facilities will remain in operation after the Olympics and will be available to the public and for future national and international skiing competition.” Winners and Losers: Now that the exchange is completed, Holding can begin construction of a new day lodge at the mountain base, along with a new mountain operations center and maintenance warehouse needed for the 2002 Games. Had the land deal collapsed and the day lodge scrapped, the Salt Lake Organizing Committee would have been forced to construct temporary operations facilities. “Clearly it’s easier to work with a permanent building than to consider erecting a tent,” SLOC President Mitt Romney said. “It saves us a couple of hundred thousand dollars.” Although the land swap was not critical to the success of the Olympics, Romney said getting it done makes life easier for both Olympic partners and creates a more attractive venue for a worldwide audience. “It’s nice that Mr. Holding will be able to have a more complete resort to showcase,” Romney said. But the transformation of the Ogden Valley from quaint local ski hill to posh destination resort that the land deal signals is viewed with disdain by others. “When Earl does things he does 801-745-4000 2555 WOLF CREEK DRIVE EDEN, UTAH STORE HOURS: MON. - SAT. 7 AM - 10 PM SUNDAY 7 AM - 9 PM SOBES 20 oz. Buy 4 @ 99cents Get One FREE Limit 8 per purchase Expires 6/15/00 Large Eggs 2 dozen / $1.00 Limit 2 per coupon Expires 6/15/00 Tony’s Italian Pizzas with coupon $1.99 $3.50 Regularly Limit 2 per coupon Expires 6/15/00 them right, but I’m not sure if me or any of the other people in here are going to benefit from watching Cadillacs from New York drive up the road,” said Sam Merrill as he sat at the Shooting Star Bar in Huntsville at the foot of Snowbasin, where reaction to the news was mixed. “Most people say it’s about time because they were just sick and tired of the whole thing,” said Merrill. “As much as many of us don’t care for the government, we were on the government’s side on this one, because every time they made a decision, our good old congressmen just passed a law for old Earl. He had a better name around here three months ago than he does today.” Eden Bowery Dedication June 3rd 8:45 a.m. Flag Ceremony 9:00 a.m. Breakfast $5 per person $2.50 for kids 10:00 a.m. Playground & Bowery Ribbon Cutting The original trustees from the Eden Park will do the ribbon cutting for the Bowery. The Swanson Foundation will cut the ribbon for the playground. For More Information |
