Mountain meets many needs as it is
TWO VIEWS • Plan to protect more of Mount Hood stirs up admirers, users
Fri, May 28, 2004
By DAVE RILEY
As a provider of outdoor recreation for almost 40 years on Mount Hood, Mt. Hood Meadows believes planning for the future of the mountain is a good thing.
Mount Hood is considered one of 11 “urban forests” in the country — that is, a national forest within 50 miles of more than 1 million people. Given the mountain’s proximity to Portland, I believe it is advisable to consider wilderness expansion not in isolation but in an analysis that also includes the elements of transportation, developed recreation, forest health and future development of adjacent communities and private lands.
Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort and Cooper Spur Mountain Resort operate adjacent to the existing Mount Hood Wilderness area, as do other ski areas on the mountain. The wilderness is a vital part of the experience we provide our 400,000-plus visitors every year.
Our two ski-area permits involve 4,954 acres out of 1,063,450 total acres in the Mount Hood National Forest. In other words, our total permit areas equal less than 1 percent of the Mount Hood National Forest. As a matter of fact, if you add up all the land that has been allocated to all five developed ski areas on Mount Hood (including present and future expansion areas) it equals only 1.1 percent of the area included in the Mount Hood National Forest. Currently, 18 percent of the mountain is designated as wilderness.
Yet the ski areas, by far, provide the greatest amount of public recreation in the national forest, using the least amount of land. And it’s done through a public-private partnership that requires that ski areas fund all capital improvements. The ski-area operators also pay for all environmental analyses and public processes to obtain approval to improve the facilities. The ski areas operate and manage the land in accordance with an incredibly complex set of laws that protect the natural resources very effectively.
If you ever question whether the ski areas are doing a good job protecting the Earth, take a hike in August at any of the five ski areas on Mount Hood and see for yourself. You will find that all the operators are constantly cleaning and successfully managing the grounds in support of the environment. You will find thriving wildlife, wildflowers and native grasses, and clean streams.
Like many of our employees and guests, I love and enjoy the experience of wilderness. I support its expansion — but in the right places that stay true to the wilderness experience we all expect.
Many Oregonians also like to ski or snowboard at the developed ski areas and would like to see more terrain, chairlifts, support facilities and overnight accommodations. I constantly hear this from the public. The Mount Hood National Forest Plan has already allocated additional lands for modest ski area expansion at each of the ski areas. Any expansion of wilderness should avoid conflict with the areas allocated under the forest plan for current and future ski area uses.
In the course of deciding what further acreage should be designated as wilderness on the mountain, it’s critical that we remember that many other people love to recreate on Mount Hood. Thousands of people come to the mountain to camp, hike, fish, climb, snowshoe, cross-country ski, bike, run, hunt, watch wildlife and stay in a bed-and-breakfast or lodge.
The tribes’ historical and cultural uses also need not only to be addressed, but improved. Many areas on the mountain could be improved for historical tribal uses, and should be.
Mount Hood provides water for many communities. These watersheds need continued protection.
Logging has occurred over the decades on the mountain. Sustainable forest management practices have vastly improved in recent years. We believe an emphasis on forest health, wildlife habitat enhancement, and disease and wildfire reduction should take precedence over commodity production, given the urban forest aspect of Mount Hood. Recreation, forest health, wildlife, clean water and historic preservation should be the priority for this great mountain.
Mountain tourism is a clean industry that creates jobs, increases the tax base and provides leisure opportunities for a stressed-out society. Families spend quality time and create lifelong memories playing in the alpine environment. Outdoor recreation reduces obesity and improves mental and physical health.
Mount Hood is an icon of the Northwest. Our company has a tremendous responsibility and role to protect this great treasure for future generations to enjoy. Recreation and ecosystem health can and do successfully coexist.
Dave Riley is vice president and general manager of Mt. Hood Meadows Ski Resort and Cooper Spur Mountain Resort. He lives with his wife and daughter in Parkdale in the upper Hood River Valley.