Powder Mountain

panorama

The magnificent plateau pictured above is at risk! Picture a golf course covering the meadow in the foreground, and multi-million-dollar vacation homes dotting the ridge in the background. That's what Park City developer Brent Ferrin is proposing for this piece of property currently zoned as rural land.

Ferrin has announced plans to buy 12,000 acres of land, including the plateau shown above as well as Powder Mountain Ski Area, in order to develop an exclusive resort community. He is asking the Weber and Cache County Commissions to rezone the property to accomodate this development.

In addition to its scenic and recreational value, the plateau serves as valuable watershed for Ogden Valley and as crucial summer range for elk. In fact, it is surrounded on three sides by the Middle Fork Wildlife Management Area. But without the privately owned summer range, the viability of the wildlife refuge would be threatened. Under the developer's proposal, the elk habitat shown in this photo would be converted into a golf course, surrounded by vacation homes.

The Powder Mountain plateau is renowned for its wildflower viewing. Under the developer's proposal, most of the meadows would be converted to golf courses, while practically the entire area would be closed to the public as a gated community.

The developer is promising to preserve some hiking trails in the area. Most of them, however, would be exclusively for the use of wealthy property owners. Similarly, the developer predicts that the number of skiers at Powder Mountain would remain about the same as at present, with local skiers being displaced by his clients. Lift ticket prices would undoubtedly soar, as they have at Snowbasin.

The Sierra Club does not oppose additional developments in the vicinity of Powder Mountain Ski Area, as would be allowed under the current zoning. We do oppose rezoning the entire 12,000-acre property to accomodate a sprawling real estate development. Please contact the Weber County Commissioners at 399-8401, and ask them to deny the rezoning request. Ask them instead to require that the developer designate a half-mile-wide buffer zone of undeveloped land along the border of the wildlife refuge.

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Last modified on 29 July 2002.

	In addition to its scenic and recreational value, the plateau serves as valuable watershed for Ogden Valley and as crucial summer range for elk. In fact, it is surrounded on three sides by the Middle Fork Wildlife Management Area. But without the privately owned summer range, the viability of the wildlife refuge would be threatened. Under the developer's proposal, the elk habitat shown in this photo would be converted into a golf course, surrounded by vacation homes.
	The Powder Mountain plateau is renowned for its wildflower viewing. Under the developer's proposal, most of the meadows would be converted to golf courses, while practically the entire area would be closed to the public as a gated community.
	The developer is promising to preserve some hiking trails in the area. Most of them, however, would be exclusively for the use of wealthy property owners. Similarly, the developer predicts that the number of skiers at Powder Mountain would remain about the same as at present, with local skiers being displaced by his clients. Lift ticket prices would undoubtedly soar, as they have at Snowbasin.
	The Sierra Club does not oppose additional developments in the vicinity of Powder Mountain Ski Area, as would be allowed under the current zoning. We do oppose rezoning the entire 12,000-acre property to accomodate a sprawling real estate development. Please contact the Weber County Commissioners at 399-8401, and ask them to deny the rezoning request. Ask them instead to require that the developer designate a half-mile-wide buffer zone of undeveloped land along the border of the wildlife refuge.