ASPEN —An environmental organization that unsuccessfully tried to prevent Aspen Skiing Co. from thinning trees on a portion of Burnt Mountain last year is back in court to try to snuff any potential for chairlifts, grooming or motorized uses in the sidecountry swath adjacent to Snowmass.
The Ark Initiative and its executive director, Donald Duerr, filed an appeal earlier this month in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia over a federal court’s decision to let Skico advance with its plan. William Eubanks II, the attorney for the plaintiffs, said the issue is still relevant, even though the tree-thinning occurred last year, because Forest Service approval allows Skico to undertake other activities on Burnt Mountain.
“It’s more about the overall feel of the area,” Eubanks said. He said his clients have told him they are “fine” with skiers and snowboarders of adequate ability using Burnt Mountain. They don’t want uses that interfere with the solitude and natural feel of the area.
“They’re not fighting to keep it to themselves,” Eubanks said.
After thinning trees last summer and fall, Skico opened a greater amount of Burnt Mountain to skiing last winter.
