lift-free forever!  
  Friends of Snodgrass Mountain photo courtesy of ColoradoAerials.com
 
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"To me Snodgrass represents a metaphor for this wonderful planet we live in but that we are running to the ground at a great pace."
- CB Resident
"I Believe...", a testimony

Town of CB sends Snodgrass letter to USFS
February 3 , 2010--Town Council of Crested Butte approved a letter to be sent to Forest Supervisor Charlie Richmond about the current Snodgrass issue. The letter states that the current council has not taken a formal position on CBMR's Master Development Plan or its lift-served skiing development proposal. Click here to read the letter.
Photo at right is a picture of the Snodgrass trailhead with Gold Link in the background. (Jan. 2010)
ROUGH TIMELINE SINCE CBMR FILED ITS APPEAL

December 18, 2009 - CBMR filed its appeal.
December 22, 2009 - Charles Richmond (Deciding Officer) asked for a 45 day extension beyond the 30 days required for him to respond to the appeal. Most of the staff was out of the office for the holidays and would not have had sufficient time to give the appeal the time it needs for review.
January 18, 2010 - The date a response is due in Rick Cables' office if an extension is not granted.
March 3, 2010 - Richmond's deadline for submitting his response to CBMR's 70-page appeal to Jim Peņa, the appeal reviewer in California.
March 23, 2010 - Deadline for CBMR and any approved interveners to respond to Richmond's response.
April 23, 2010 - Deadline for indpendently appointed USFS forester Jim Peņa to make a decision on the appeal.

Visit the USFS website to see all the documents.

CONTINUED THANKS GO TO FRIENDS OF SNODGRASS MOUNTAIN AND OTHERS WHO SUPPORT A LIFT-FREE SNODGRASS
THANK YOU to everyone who has written or called in support of the Forest Service decision to keep Snodgrass Mountain lift-free! The Forest Service says that reactions to their decision only confirm their November 2009 conclusion: the Crested Butte community is divided. Aside from public reaction, Snodgrass Mountain is unsuitable for lift-served skiing. Risks from unstable geology and avalanches, the 45 minute trip from the existing mountain and the amount of environmental destruction that would have been necessary to eke out a few acres of intermediate skiing all contributed to the rejection of the proposed plan. The same obstacles were uncovered in the 1996 NEPA EIS, and they would surface in a new EIS. None of these mountain facts will change. We appreciate the support of folks who continue to write letters to state and federal officials, local politicians and the folks in Delta.
RECENT NEWS
• Snodgrass appeal timeline; April or May before Peņa decision (1/27/10)
• CBMR's Snodgrass appeal passed on to California deputy forester (1/20/10)
• Prominent Colorado nature photographer John Fielder expresses his support (12/31/09)
• USFS letter from then-GMUG Forest Supervisor Robert Storch to Edward Callaway (4/25/96)
TAKE ACTION TODAY
The ski industry is pressuring the USFS and Washington to reverse the November 5 decision rejecting CBMR's proposal to develop Snodgrass with lift-served skiing. We are asking you to write, email or call to support the USFS decision. Read more.

WRITE, EMAIL, CALL - Secretaries of Agriculture, Forest Service officials, Colorado Congressionals

PLEASE LET CBMR KNOW THAT THE EXISTING RECREATIONAL OFFERINGS ARE GREAT WITHOUT LIFTS ON SNODGRASS MOUNTAIN!
Thank you, Charlie Richmond
""We ask that the Forest Service help Crested Butte become an environmental leader. Help Crested Butte and the Gunnison National Forest become the place that everyone else tries to emulate." (Town of CB, May 2008)

Friends of Snodgrass Mountain thank Charlie Richmond and his staff in a letter November 16, 2009. Read the entire letter here.
Support the USFS Decision
Write today to show your support of the USFS Decision to reject the Snodgrass Proposal
We sincerely appreciate the decision by the US Forest Service to reject a proposal to put lifts on Snodgrass Mountain! We ask that you send a letter or email of support to appropriate personnel to let them know you support the USFS decision. Click here for addresses. And remember, you don't have to be an "official" Friend to show your support!

• Top 10 Reasons to keep Snodgrass lift-free
• More reasons to protect the mountain
Get Involved
FOSM is a grassroots organization that welcomes supporters who can donate energy, ideas, time or money. There are a variety of ways to show your support for a lift-free Snodgrass Mountain, even if you simply want our newsletters. If you give us your name, we will never sell it, use for unauthorized purposes or otherwise abuse your privacy. Become a Friend! Email and let us know how you'd like to be involved.
OUR MISSION
To protect and preserve the biodiversity and social significance of a lift-free Snodgrass Mountain in Crested Butte, Colorado. Read the full mission.
2009 Friends of Snodgrass Mountain • Contact Webmaster