Some businesses in the high country told CBS4 a new policy by the U.S. Forest Service could wipe them out. CBS4 first reported on a story of one business being hurt by the
policy in August. Now nearly 20 more businesses say they’re struggling
because of it. It was about a decade ago when small businesses in Eagle and Summit
counties realized they could profit from the recreation available there.
In August CBS4′s Jeff Todd reported on an ATV and snowmobile company
that had been told to stop operating until they were permitted. Now the popular summertime activity of being shuttled to Vail Pass
and riding a bicycle back into the town of the rider’s choice is being
put under the same strict guidelines. “When I talk to the forestry service, they haven’t issued a use
permit in the White River National Forest in 20 years. Why are they
going start now? They tell me they don’t have a permitting procedure in
place,” Alpine Sports owner Thos McDonald said. For 10 years Alpine Sports in Breckenridge has run a shuttle service
to Vail Pass in the summer. This year alone they had over 2,300
customers, and they are one of nearly 20 companies that run that kind of
a business there. McDonald says he’s allowed to employ more than 20 people in the summer. “If I were to stop running Vail Pass I’d probably go down to five or six employees total,” McDonald said. Last week letters were sent out by the Forest Service saying Vail
Pass bike path shuttles need to stop at the end of the month and can’t
return until a special use permit is awarded. Every business CBS4 has spoke with said they’ve asked for permits in the
past but were told they weren’t necessary. Now those shop owners say
they feel like they were blindsided by the de-facto cease-and-desist
letter...more
You see how they manage a bike path. Can't wait until the feds manage my healthcare.
Issues of concern to people who live in the west: property rights, water rights, endangered species, livestock grazing, energy production, wilderness and western agriculture. Plus a few items on western history, western literature and the sport of rodeo... Frank DuBois served as the NM Secretary of Agriculture from 1988 to 2003. DuBois is a former legislative assistant to a U.S. Senator, a Deputy Assistant Secretary of Interior, and is the founder of the DuBois Rodeo Scholarship.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
No comments:
Post a Comment