Forest Service halts new Keystone chairlift after resort mistakenly builds road in protected tundra – By Jason Blevins (Colorado Sun) / July 29, 2022
Vail Resorts has apologized for the mistake, but the opening of Keystone’s Bergman Bowl — a new 555-acre, 16-trail expansion that ranks one of the largest capital investment plans underway in the U.S. resort industry — could be delayed
The U.S. Forest Service has halted construction of a new lift in Keystone after the resort mistakenly built a temporary road in protected alpine tundra.
Keystone has Forest Service permission to build a road to the bottom of its new Bergman Bowl chairlift and a temporary road higher in the bowl to access lift towers. Forest officials earlier this month saw construction crews plowing that temporary road beyond what was allowed, impacting alpine tundra and burying a stream with debris.
“We were surprised and disappointed to see this for sure,” said Scott Fitzwilliams, the supervisor of the White River National Forest who this month sent Keystone a cease and desist letter requiring the resort to suspend construction while the impacts of the mistake are measured.
“We deeply regret the impact this unauthorized construction activity has had on the environment that our team works carefully to protect every day,” reads a statement posted online July 27 by Keystone manager Chris Sorensen. “We take environmental protection and compliance extremely seriously and are committed to making this right.”
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