If you live in the greater Pacific Northwest, you know that Stevens Pass Ski Area is planning to open a bike park in 2010. What you probably don’t know is what is the scope of the Master Development Plan or at what stage the whole process is at. There were several parties represented at the meeting held in Everett on Wednesday night. Stevens Pass was well represented, the mountain bike community had less than one would have expected, and then there was representation from the other user and advocate groups like the Mountaineers and the Sierra Club. The US Forest Service is conducting an environmental analysis as required by the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) for all proposed projects in the Stevens Pass MDP. The most pressing issue is to get feedback for the Scoping letter by July 3rd.
The meeting was lead by the project manager Sean Wetterberg. The meeting was a formal way for the US Forest Service and Stevens Pass to get out their information about the process forward. They also took this opportunity to ask for feedback from the public at large. As one should expect, when so many people are included in the planning process of how public lands should be used, there was a controversial element. This was brought forward by the representative of the Sierra Club and concerned the environmental impact of the MDP.
Stevens Pass’ Master Development Plan looks out over 10 to 15 years and lists all the upgrades and changes Stevens Pass is looking to implement to the public lands they lease for recreational use. In addition, to the mountain bike park they intend to upgrade their water treatment plant, add lifts, ski area, and a lodge. These additional improvements are important to the mountain bike community, because they will effect the overall environmental impact. This overall environmental impact is important and appears to be a possible sticking point for Stevens Pass as they go forward. Right now Stevens Pass is taking feed back for the NEPA that will be used to determine what the impact on the environment will be and how it will be mitigated. Before the MDP can be given the okay and the building to commence this stage has to be successfully and legally executed. This is where the controversy came in.
We all hate it when someone brings their individual frustrations into the sweet world of “riping and shredding.” Mountain Biking is supposed to be a release not a stress. But, if we are to get past the problem of illegal trail use, add bike parks and bring our communities forward, we have to face the facts. We also have to organize and support those that are organizing on our behalf. The fact is, there are hurdles to what we want. Based on the events of the meeting, these hurdles come in the human form, but they are also logistic, legal and economic.
Charles, a representative of the Sierra club, expressed his concern that the process may not be legal. He was very vocal in stressing that the whole MDP had to be considered, not just the Mountain Bike Park and it’s goals for 2010, but also for 2025. It became clear that Stevens Pass was trying it’s best to express their entire plan, but that unknown economic and logistic factors that will come up in the future make it near impossible to have the whole MDP for the next 10 to 15 years completely stated. In other words, things could change. This seamed to be a very large problem that wasn’t going to be easily swallowed by people like Charles of the Sierra club.
I came away from the meeting knowing that Stevens Pass was doing the necessary work to legally open a bike park on the land they lease from the National Forest Service. There are numerous parties in support of this plan and they are working together to make sure it is done legally and properly for the mountain bike community. Stevens Pass is working to open in 2010 with 5 trails of varying difficulty. (See Maps). Right now they are taking feedback for environmental concerns. (Go here to give your feedback.) It’s clear that with the right planning this park will happen. However, there are groups that have their concerns and these concerns will have to be answered, regardless how difficult, if the park is to open without controversy.
Send your concerns, pro or con via email to this address by the 3rd of July. There will be a 30 day public comment period beginning on the 4th of July. The goal of the scoping letter and the process required by NEPA is to identify and mitigate any action that will have an overly negative impact on the environment. Your feedback is helpful, so email your concerns by the 3rd of July. Check out the official Stevens Pass project site here. Maps and Descriptions can be found there.
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