Pro and Con on Use of High Sierra Land
Editor’s note: Pam Murphy , spokeswoman for Mammoth/June Ski Resort, responds to Freilich’s letter:
The land between Mammoth and June (including the San Joaquin Ridge) is broken into several prescription areas in the existing Inyo National Forest Plan. Most of the ridge is designated for potential alpine ski area development. The Sierra Club actually agreed in the early 1980s, when the forest plan was being prepared, to the inclusion of the ridge for alpine ski area expansion.
It is the Hartley Springs area to the east of June Mountain, currently being used for high-level timber management, that Mammoth/June is interested in using for base facilities. Dave McCoy and the Mammoth/June Ski Resort have shown through past expansion that ski area development can be done in harmony with the environment for both winter and summer use.
Less than 1% of the public lands in the Inyo National Forest are developed for recreational use; however, 82% of the forest users are currently using these developed lands.
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