OLYMPIA, Wash. – The Washington State Parks and Recreation Commission has signed an amendment to the existing concession lease with Mt. Spokane 2000, allowing the non-profit concessionaire to move another step forward toward ski area expansion at the popular site.
The newly signed amendment is on condition that the ski concessionaire provide plans for timber harvest and vegetation management and accommodate a State Parks archaeological survey. The project then moves to the Spokane County permitting process, subject to review under the Land Use Petition Act. All necessary permits need to be obtained before actual work begins.
Mount Spokane 2000, the not-for-profit concessionaire that operates the ski concession at Mount Spokane, proposes developing a new ski lift and seven new ski runs on the west side of the mountain, on an 850-acre area known as the Potential Alpine Ski Expansion Area (PASEA).
The proposal was submitted in 2010, and the Commission considered technical data and public comment. In May 2011, the Commission determined that it would allow for potential expansion pending completion of environmental review under the State Environmental Policy Act (SEPA). Additional background information related to the land-classification decision is available at http://www.parks.wa.gov/agency/commissionmeetings/archives/?fileYear=2011.
State Parks and Mount Spokane 2000 have continued working through the environmental process. The lease amendment signed this week will include a plan of development for the ski area expansion. The plan is available to view at http://www.parks.wa.gov/plans/mtspokane2/.
Background information on Mount Spokane State Park planning can be found at www.parks.wa.gov/plans/mtspokane.
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