U.S. Authorizes Planning for Ski Area

The chief of the U.S. Forest Service has overruled lower-level officials and authorized final planning for the $50-million Sherwin Ski Area proposed on public land near Mammoth Lakes in the Eastern Sierra Nevada, the developer said Tuesday.

Progress was suspended in December by the agency’s San Francisco office, which cited the need for more analysis of the ski area’s potential impact on migrating deer herds, mountain lions and local fisheries. Deputy Regional Forester Joyce Muracka also questioned whether skier demand justified construction of a third major ski area in the Mammoth region 300 miles north of Los Angeles.

But F. Dale Robertson, the top official in the Forest Service, ruled late last week on an appeal by the developer that further environmental studies could be conducted while plans are drafted. The ruling does not necessarily mean that construction will be allowed or that a use permit for the public lands will be issued.

The proposed nine-lift ski area would be built on 3,000 acres of leased land in the Inyo National Forest just north of the town of Mammoth Lakes, several miles from the Mammoth Mountain Ski Area. The June Mountain Ski Area is about 20 miles away.

Robertson said that “we can agree with some of Ms. Muracka’s findings that additional analysis is necessary.” But Robertson noted that Muracka apparently believed that issuance of a special use permit by Inyo National Forest Supervisor Dennis Martin in 1990 authorized construction of the ski area.

“There has been no final agency decision that a ski area will be constructed,” Robertson said. “Such a conclusion is premature.”

Martin’s decision had been appealed by Friends of the Inyo, an environmental organization, and the state Fish and Game Department.

Tom Dempsey, president of Dempsey Construction Corp., said in a statement Tuesday, “We can now forge ahead with the master development plan for the ski area. We intend to coordinate closely with the regional (Forest Service) office and the Inyo National Forest so that all legitimate environmental concerns can be resolved during the master planning process.”

The base lodge for the new ski area would be built on Dempsey Corp. land next to the firm’s existing Snowcreek housing development. At completion, Snowcreek Resort would include a convention center, underground parking, hotel and condominium accommodations, a skating rink, a pedestrian mall and an 18-hole golf course. The first nine holes of the golf course were opened last year.

Dempsey Corp. officials have said construction on the ski area could begin as early as 1993, and it could open during the 1993-94 season. The plans have the support of Dave McCoy, founder of the much-larger Mammoth Mountain ski area. Dempsey once worked for McCoy.

Dempsey said Sherwin would be the first major alpine ski area built in California in 20 years. Planning has been under way off and on since 1965.

“There are over 1.3 million skiers in the Southern California market area and the Forest Service estimates that there is an unmet demand for alpine skiing of approximately 3.6 million skier days,” the Dempsey Corp. statement said.