-----Original Message-----
From:
Saddleback@atconf.org [mailto:Saddleback@atconf.org]
Sent: Friday, February 11,
2000 4:59 PM
To: Saddleback@atconf.org
Subject: Saddleback Update,
2/11/0
Greetings-
Quite a bit of time has elapsed since the last
Saddleback update. In this message, you'll find information on:
-> the
NPS environmental assessment process
-> negotiations between NPS and the
ski area
-> ATC's perspective
1) NPS EA Process-Last summer,
NPS released and "environmental assessment" of Trail-protection alternatives at
Saddleback. The public comment period for the EA extended through August 31,
1999, and NPS conducted three public hearings in Maine (Rangeley, Bangor,
Portland) to gather public input. Approximately 4,500 comments were received.
NPS needed several months to process and catalogue the comments last fall. NPS
prepared and circulated a "summary report" on the EA on January 28. That report
(which was mailed to everyone who submitted comments to NPS) identified
Alternative #2 (the 893-acre corridor) as its "preferred alternative" and the
basis for continued negotiations with the ski area owners. If you did not
receive a copy of the summary report, contact the NPS office:
Appalachian
Trail Park Office
National Park Service
Harpers Ferry Center
Harpers
Ferry, WV 25425
(304) 535-6278
e-mail:
APPA_Park_Office@nps.gov
Here are some notes about the nature of the
comments:
2,304 comments (51.3% of the total) supported strong protection
for the Appalachian Trail. Of these, 95% wrote a detailed letter or e-mail
message, many speaking passionately and eloquently about the importance of the
Trail experience across Saddleback Mountain, the unparalleled scenic beauty
available on this section of Trail, and the potential loss of solitude and
primitive character if the ski area expands as it wishes.
2,210 comments
(49.1% of the total) favored extensive ski-area expansion that would have
dramatic impacts on the Trail. Of these, only 11% wrote a detailed letter or
e-mail message. Nearly 90% simply signed a petition or post card pre-printed by
Saddleback Ski Area.
Here are selections from the "Summary of Findings
and Conclusions" section of the EA summary (underlining present in the NPS
document):
"The alpine ridge, alpine bog-meadow, and krummholz
communities on Saddleback Mount are ecologically important and should be
preserved."
"The section of the (A.T.) across Saddleback Mountain
provides some of the most dramatic and breathtaking scenery along the entire
Appalachian National Scenic Trail..."
" The visual impacts of ski area
development in the foreground zone, and patience ski development within a few
hundred feet of the Trail, would be difficult if not impossible to
mitigate."
"The subalpine spruce-fir forest community is important for
several reasons and should be disturbed as little as possible."
"Soils
and vegetation at the highest elevations of Saddleback Mountain are highly
vulnerable to disturbance."
" Using Eddy Pond for snowmaking purposes
would adversely affect the water quality, fisheries and the remote recreational
opportunities provided by the pond."
"Saddleback Ski Area has the
necessary approvals to...double its capacity b constructing the four lifts and
six trails approved by LURC."
"Saddleback Ski Area faces a number of
challenges to expansion (including) its relative inaccessibility, limited
infrastructure, lack of resort-based development, and competition from
established ski resorts..."
"Ski-area expansion onto the southeastern
slopes of the mountain would require construction of two crossing of the
Appalachian Trail and ski area facilities and lifts that would have adverse
impacts on high-elevation soils and the subalpine spruce-fir forest community
and be directly visible from the Appalachian Trail and the summit of Saddleback
Mountain."
2) Negotiations between NPS and the ski area-After the end of
the EA comment period, NPS processed and reviewed the public input; Park Manager
Pamela Underhill personally read all 4,500 comments. In the fall, NPS
representatives contacted Saddleback's representative, Kitty Breen (daughter of
ski-area owner Don Breen), to arrange a negotiating session. Breen insisted that
the starting point for negotiations should be the ski area's 600-acre donation
offer (already rejected by NPS) and that the NPS negotiator must be "empowered"
to make a decision "on the spot." After numerous calls and faxes, NPS agreed to
fly to Boston for two days in early November. NPS confirmed the understanding in
writing. At the last minute, Saddleback cancelled the meeting saying that NPS
had not met its conditions. Senator Snowe's office tried to persuade the Breens
to meet with NPS. NPS tried to arrange another date in early December, but the
impending birth of Kitty's first child precluded any face-to-face negotiations
until January at the earliest.
In January, NPS officials briefed staff
from the Maine congressional delegation in Washington about the EA summary, the
distribution of comments, and the NPS' preference for Alternative #2.
Unfortunately, someone leaked the results of the meeting (which was agreed by
all parties to be confidential as it was prior to the public release of the
formal summary) to the Breens, who promptly blasted NPS in the
press.
NPS contacted the Breens in January, but the Breens have been
unwilling to arrange a negotiation session before April. In the meantime, the
Breens continue to blame NPS for stalling the process and preventing a
settlement. NPS remains eager to renew the negotiations, so far to no
avail.
3) ATC's perspective on protection of the Appalachian Trail at
Saddleback Mountain-ATC's position can be summarized as follows:
* ATC
concurs with the findings of the National Park Service's "Summary Report" for
the A.T. on Saddleback Mountain. The report is a fair, detailed and objective
summary of the information presented in the environmental assessment and the
comments provided by the public. NPS should be commended for preparing a superb
report.
* ATC supports Alternative #2. Although ATC and many Trail
supporters might prefer the A.T. corridor proposal outlined within Alternative
#1 (indeed, 1,782 people supported this alternative in response to the EA), Alt.
#2 represents a fair and balanced approach that satisfies the need to protect
the A.T. and associated resources while continuing to provide the opportunity
for substantial ski-area expansion and related economic development in the
Rangeley region.
* ATC supports the prompt resumption of negotiations
between NPS and the ski area's owners and resolution of the issue in a way the
protects Trail values. One possible avenue to such a resolution would be
acquisition (by NPS or some other entity) of the entire 11,000+-acre ownership
from the Breen family, thereby satisfying their desire to sell the property and
not pursue ski-area expansion. The Breens' asking price for the entire property
is more than $16 million. Several appraisals indicate that the fair market value
is in the range of $4-5 million.
Thank you for continued support for
protection of the Appalachian Trail on Saddleback Mountain. If you have any
questions or comments, please feel free to contact me. (And, apologies if you
received multiple copies of this message.)
Sincerely,
Kevin A.
Peterson
Regional Land Trust Administrator-North
Appalachian Trail
Conference
18 On the Common, Unit #7
Lyme, NH 03768-0312
Phone: (603)
795-4935
Fax: (603) 795-4936
mailto:kpeterson@atconf.org
Visit ATC's Web site
at
Appalachian Trail Conference
799 Washington Street
Harpers Ferry WV
25425
mailto:info@atconf.org
http://www.atconf.org
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