File - weston peterson E


Peterson
1
Wes
Peterson
English/
2010/
Kilpatrick
5/1/13
SkiLink:
To
Link
or
Not
to
Link
Utah
claims
to
have
the
best
snow
on
earth.
In
the
mountains
surrounding
the
Salt
Lake
valley
known
as
the
Wasatch
Front
there
are
many
world‐renowned
ski
resorts.
Utah
is
so
world‐
renowned
for
our
great
snow
that
our
license
plates
say
the
greatest
snow
on
earth.
In
2002
the
(Skilink)
The
canyon
on
the
left
is
Parleys
Way.
The
one
to
the
right
is
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon.
great
city
of
Salt
Lake
was
host
to
the
Olympic
Winter
Games.
Ski
resorts
expanded
greatly
during
the
time
before
the
games.
As
time
goes
on
there
are
always
expansions
and
modernization
of
these
resorts.
This
trend
continues
leading
to
a
gondola
that
is
proposed
By
the
Talisker
Corporation.
The
project
is
known
as
Skilink
and
is
causing
some
controversy.
The
map
above
shows
the
planed
gondola
line.
The
canyon
on
the
left
is
Parley’s
way
going
to
the
canyons
and
the
canyon
road
Peterson
2
to
the
right
is
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon,
the
road
that
leads
to
thee
Brighton
Mountain
Resort.
What
is
Skilink?
Talisker
Mountain
Inc.,
development
company,
is
proposing
a
plan
to
put
in
a
gondola
to
link
Solitude
Mountain
Resort
and
the
Canyons
Resort.
These
two
resorts
are
about
a
half
hour
commute
from
Salt
Lake
City
in
different
directions.
The
Canyons
Resort
is
located
near
Park
City
and
Solitude
Mountain
Resort
is
located
near
the
top
of
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon.
If
skiers
where
to
drive
from
one
resort
to
the
other
they
would
need
to
drive
around
fifty
miles
that
would
take
about
an
hour
of
drive
time
in
decent
weather
conditions.
If
the
gondola
were
built
skiers
would
be
able
to
go
to
either
resort
and
ski
the
terrain
of
both
in
the
same
day
without
ever
having
to
take
off
their
skis.
Talisker
is
a
Canadian
based
parent
company
that
owns
the
Canyons
Resort
that
would
be
linked
to
Solitude
Mountain
Resort
via
the
Skilink
gondola.
The
gondola
would
begin
from
the
Colony,
a
gated
community
at
the
Canyons
and
then
go
up
to
the
Wasatch
crest
ridgeline,
the
ridge
that
is
the
boundary
between
Summit
and
Salt
Lake
County.
The
gondola
would
then
drop
down
into
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon
to
Solitude
(Stevenson).
The
area
going
down
into
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon
where
the
Skilink
lift
is
proposed
to
be
built
is
now
owned
by
the
forest
service
and
would
require
sale
to
Talisker
for
their
project
to
become
a
reality.
Thirty
acres
of
Forest
Service
land
is
needed
by
Talisker
to
build
the
gondola.
Peterson
3
Constructing
the
Gondola
would
consist
of
twenty‐five
lift
towers
and
would
cover
the
span
of
three
miles.
To
ride
the
gondola
it
would
take
eleven
minutes.
The
cost
would
be
a
small
charge
on
top
of
the
Canyons‐Solitude
multi
resort
pass
(Stevenson).
Thirty
acres
that
is
needed
is
the
issue
creating
controversy
because
it
would
need
to
be
sold
by
the
government
to
a
private
entity.
Several
local
and
out
of
state
businesses
have
linked
up
and
formed
a
grassroots
non‐profit
to
stop
the
sale
of
the
land
and
therefore
the
project
from
happening.
The
organization
that
is
trying
to
stop
the
project
is
known
by
the
name
Stop
Skilink.
The
Two
Sides
of
The
Debate
Talisker
The
Talisker
company
wants
the
project
to
happen
claiming
that
it
would
cut
down
on
as
much
as
one
million
miles
driven
per
year,
as
much
as
one
million
pounds
of
green
house
gasses,
and
reduce
traffic
in
Parleys
Canyon.
Talisker
also
states
that
the
Skilink
project
would
bring
big
gains
to
the
economy.
On
the
official
Skilink
website
it
suggests
that
the
project
would
add
51
million
dollars
to
the
local
economy.
It
also
says
that
the
state
would
get
3
million
dollars
in
taxes.
The
website
says
there
would
be
a
lasting
effect
that
would
possibly
add
as
many
as
500
new
jobs.
This
information
was
gathered
by
RCLO,
an
economic
advising
company
(Skilink).
The
claims
that
the
Skilink
project
would
be
helpful
to
the
environment
and
also
create
jobs
are
some
of
the
positive
aspects
that
Skilink
has
to
offer.
One
of
the
pros
of
the
project
is
that
it
is
proposed
that
after
the
completion
of
the
project
Salt
Peterson
4
Lake
City
would
become
one
of
the
most
sought
after
ski
destinations
in
the
Nation.
A
combination
of
the
Canyons
Resort
and
Solitude
Mountain
resort,
after
connected
by
Skilink,
would
be
the
largest
ski
resort
with
the
most
terrain
in
the
whole
country.
“Locals
and
tourists
would
be
able
to
enjoy
a
6,000‐acre
ski
network,
a
first
in
the
United
States.”(Skilink).
Skilink
states
on
their
webpage
that
they
will
infuse
fifty
one
million
dollars
into
the
local
economy
and
three
million
in
taxes.
They
also
say
they
will
create
five
hundred
new
jobs
(Skilink).
Their
belief
is
that
by
creating
such
a
large
resort
with
so
much
terrain
it
will
bring
in
a
lot
of
income
to
the
state
by
making
it
more
of
an
international
destination.
Stop
Skilink
Organization
On
the
other
side
of
the
debate,
some
say
that
the
Skilink
gondola
will
have
several
negative
environmental
impacts
with
few
benefits
for
the
majority.
The
main
opposition
is
the
organization
Stop
Skilink.
Some
of
the
major
supporters
of
the
organization
are
large
corporations
such
as
Black
Diamond,
Gregory,
Patagonia,
La
Sportiva,
Petzl,
Mountain
Hardware,
and
CamelBak.
There
are
local
entities
supporting
the
Stop
Skilink
such
as
the
Sierra
Club
and
Save
Our
Canyons
as
well.
Their
argument
is
that
it
is
falsely
advertised
as
a
good
transportation
alternative
compared
to
driving
from
the
Canyons
Resort
down
to
Salt
Lake
City
and
then
up
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon.
The
argument
is
supported
on
their
website
StopSkilink.org
by
saying
it
would
not
be
practical
for
the
average
person
to
buy
a
$100
lift
ticket
to
the
Canyons
Peterson
5
and
then
spend
time
taking
five
lifts
to
the
Solitude
Mountain
Resort
as
opposed
to
driving.
The
time
to
take
the
lifts
vs.
driving
is
comparable
at
around
an
hour.
(Stop
Skilink)
This
illustrates
the
amount
of
lifts
you
would
have
to
navigate
to
access
Skilink.
The
opposition
thinks
that
the
project
is
short
sighted
by
not
being
a
true
alternative
transportation
and
would
not
benefit
the
economy
because
it
would
not
serve
the
greater
public.
The
people
opposed
seem
to
agree
that
the
harm
done
by
the
development
of
the
towers
would
be
a
greater
loss
to
the
economy
by
taking
away
from
the
beautiful
environment
that
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon
has
to
offer
with
all
the
outdoor
activities
Utah
has
to
offer
supporting
all
different
types
of
tourism.
Peterson
6
The
Stop
Skilink
organization
states
that
Talisker
is
mainly
targeting
the
owners
of
the
very
expensive
homes
located
where
the
base
of
the
gondola
would
be
in
the
Colony
gated
community
that
is
also
owned
by
the
Talisker
Corporation.
Stop
Skilink
has
a
problem
with
the
way
Talisker
did
not
even
request
a
United
States
Forest
Service
permit
like
(Lake
Blanch
Waterfalls
Sundial
Peak)
A
picture
of
the
beautiful
landscape
that
is
also
a
popular
hiking
destination
in
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon
most
other
ski
resorts.
Above
is
a
picture
taken
in
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon
and
demonstrates
the
area.
Some
feel
this
area
should
be
protected
and
not
for
sale.
Talisker
figured
it
would
be
easier
to
convince
government
officials
that
they
needed
to
buy
the
land
from
the
government
to
build
the
gondola
lift
towers
on.
Stop
Skilink
is
concerned
mainly
with
the
loss
of
public
land
that
would
most
likely
be
permanently
privatized.
Supporters
of
the
organization
fear
if
Talisker
built
the
lift
towers
on
the
land
the
lift
towers
used
for
the
gondola
would
be
there
for
a
long
time
into
the
foreseeable
future
and
take
away
from
the
serenity
and
tranquility
that
is
offered
by
this
very
remote
part
of
the
Utah
wilderness.
The
picture
above
taken
at
Lake
Blanch
is
just
an
example
of
one
of
the
many
views
in
this
beautiful
canyon.
Peterson
7
The
Thirty
Acres
in
Question
On
Skilinks
official
website
Talisker
states
that
already
being
large
landowners
they
are
responsible
and
environmentally
conscientious.
It
also
states
that
the
land
being
talked
about
has
not
been
important
enough
to
have
federal
protection
acts
on
it
already.
The
site
states
that
Skilink
would
be
built
in
a
way
that
is
cautious
of
the
environment.
Skilink
does
not
have
any
other
stops
other
than
the
ones
in
the
Canyons
And
Solitude
so
it
is
stated
that
there
would
be
no
damage
or
added
traffic
to
the
backcountry.
According
to
an
independent
study
the
Skilink
would
not
have
an
effect
on
the
watershed
(Skilink).
In
an
article
in
the
High
Country
News
Casey
O’Malley
a
teacher,
writer,
skier,
and
resident
of
Salt
Lake
City
brings
up
the
point
that
thirty
acres
is
not
a
huge
amount
of
land
but
it
is
more
the
piece
of
land
in
question.
”They
[the
thirty
acres]
are
precious,
bisecting
popular
hiking
and
cycling
trails
and
containing
a
well‐loved
backcountry
ski
run”
(O’Malley).
The
land
is
also
a
public
watershed
owned
by
the
people.
Selling
such
land
may
have
unforeseen
consequences.
O’Malley
brings
up
a
very
interesting
point
talking
about
the
expected
population
increase
in
the
next
30
years
and
the
fact
that
the
Salt
Lake
Valley
depends
on
the
mountains
for
our
fresh
drinkable
water
and
with
a
trend
toward
selling
public
lands
to
private
entities
we
may
be
headed
for
disaster
putting
private
interests
before
the
greater
whole.
Peterson
8
Politics
There
are
two
bills
concerning
this
issue
being
proposed.
Republican
Representative
Rob
Bishop
is
Pushing
for
a
bill
that
would
allow
Skilink
to
overlook
issues
concerning
zoning
or
the
environmental
restrictions
in
place.
The
other
proposed
bill
is
the
Wasatch
Wilderness
and
Watershed
protection
act.
Jim
Matheson
a
Democrat
representative
introduced
this
bill.
That
bill
would
preserve
the
thirty‐acre
tract
for
its
wilderness
quality’s
and
its
watershed
(Shatz).
The
Transportation
Issue
On
one
side
of
the
issue
Talisker
says
Skilink
is
a
great
way
to
solve
the
problem
of
people
having
to
drive
a
long
way
if
they
want
to
ski
both
resorts.
The
opposition
is
saying
that
it
is
not
a
good
transportation
alternative
and
only
aimed
at
a
small
demographic.
The
Skilink
website
claims
that
the
Skilink
will
cut
down
the
production
of
CO2
gasses
by
one
million
pounds,
cut
down
miles
driven
by
as
many
as
one
million
miles,
and
lessen
the
traffic
by
up
to
10%
on
peak
days.
The
Stop
Skilink
organization
says
on
their
website
that
as
an
alternative
transportation
Skilink
is
not
a
good
option.
They
list
several
other
options
more
practical
for
the
greater
population
one
of
them
being
to
widen
and
maintain
Guardsman
Pass,
a
road
that
already
connects
Park
City
with
Big
Cottonwood
Canyon.
The
Stop
Skilink
Organization
thinks
that
the
cost
of
a
day
pass
for
the
Peterson
9
canyons
and
the
time
taken
to
ride
all
the
lifts
is
not
a
realistic
alternative
form
of
transportation.
They
even
go
as
far
to
write
“Skilink
is
a
shady
land
grab
of
public
lands
by
a
Canadian
real
estate
developer
with
a
questionable
environmental
track
record”.
Will
They
Link
Up?
It
seems
that
the
thirty
acres
of
Forest
Service
land
is
the
only
thing
holding
up
the
Skilink
gondola
project
and
both
sides
are
steadfast
in
their
standpoints.
It
will
come
down
to
politics
and
which
bill
gets
passed.
Until
then
we
can
just
wait
and
see.
If
the
Skilink
does
get
built
it
may
not
affect
the
water
shed
in
the
area
or
the
recreational
use
of
the
land.
If
the
Project
never
gets
built
then
things
will
stay
the
same
and
the
people
of
Salt
Lake
City
will
never
know
if
Skilink
would
have
benefited
the
economy
and
offer
a
revolutionary
new
way
to
ski
terrain.
On
the
other
hand
if
Skilink
gets
built
and
it
was
just
a
foot
in
the
door
and
what
the
opposition
fears
comes
true
we
may
see
much
more
development
of
this
type
and
the
outdoor
culture
of
Utah
forever
changed.
Peterson
10
Work
Cited
Lake Blanch Waterfalls Sundial Peak. N.d. Utah PicturesWeb. 22 Mar 2013.
O'Malley, Casey. "Utah's Skilink Closes Off Public Land." High Country News. High
Country News, 30 Nov 2012. Web. 22 Mar 2013.
Shatz, Sallie. "Along a Utah Range,a new Skirmish Over Development or Conservation
." The New York Times. The New York Times, 26 May 2012. Web. 22 Mar 2013.
. Skilink. Skilink. Web. 22 Mar 2013
Stevenson, Jason. "Skilink FAQ." CITYWEEKLY. CITYWEEKLY, 09 January 2013.
Web. 22 Mar 2013
. STOP SKILINK. STOP SKILINK, 14 Mar 2013. Web. 22 Mar 2013.