DENVER (AP) -- A U.S. Forest Service official has affirmed a decision blocking Crested Butte Mountain Resort's plans to expand onto Snodgrass Mountain.
Deputy Regional Forester Jim Pena last week rejected the ski resort's appeal of a decision by Gunnison National Forest Supervisor Charlie Richmond in November to block the proposal.
Richmond said the proposed expansion was not in the public interest.
Resort President Tim Mueller said Monday he plans to appeal Pena's decision to Forest Service Chief Tom Tidwell. Mueller says he spent four years and $2 million working with Richmond to sculpt the expansion proposal and said Richmond had previously indicated the proposal met pre-application concerns.
Pena says the final decision was Richmond's call to make.
On the Net: Pena's decision: http://www.fs.fed.us/r2/gmug/policy/ski/snodgrass/response/PenaDecision.pdf
Crested Butte Mountain Resort: http://www.skicb.com/cbmr/index.aspx
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