FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:  Oct. 30, 2007

BLM Seeking Public Comments on Proposed Permit Change for Heli-Skiing Operation

The BLM is seeking public comments on a Draft Environmental Assessment (EA) on a proposal to allow Telluride Helitrax to change the terms of its Special Recreation Permit for commercial heli-skiing services on BLM lands in the Silverton area.  The proposal calls for increases in the amount of service days and permit term length, but does not call an expansion of the authorized permit boundary into any other new areas not previously permitted.

Telluride Helitrax has held a one-year permit with the BLM since 1995, allowing it to conduct commercial helicopter skiing on BLM lands in the Alpine Loop Backcountry area near Silverton.  The Telluride-based company has renewed this permit each year for the past 10 years, averaging 35-50 service days annually (one service day = one person for one day). 

Three alternatives and their impacts are studied in the Draft EA, along with proposed mitigation and monitoring requirements. The Preferred Alternative would allow Helitrax to operate under a multi-year permit for a five-year period.  At the end of the five years, the permit would be reevaluated for a possible increase to a 10-year permit. 

This alternative would allow for skiing in eight specific areas on about 14,183 acres.  It would allow for up to 300 service days annually under the five-year permit, with an opportunity to apply for additional service days at the end of the five years, if the 300 days are consistently being used.

Written comments will be accepted until Monday, December 3, 2007.  Comments can be mailed to Richard Speegle, Project Manager, San Juan Public Lands Center, 15 Burnett Court, Durango, CO 81301, emailed to richard_speegle@blm.gov or faxed to 970 375-2331.  

The draft EA is available for review online at: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/sanjuan/projects/projects.shtml.
 
Hard copies are available by calling the San Juan Public Lands Center at 970-247-4874.

For more information, contact Richard Speegle at 970 375-3310.