December 3, 2004

Majority oppose Mt. A expansion

By Dr. Aaron Corbet
Ashland

You have been duped. Hornswaggled. But, let me be more precise.

If you are one of those trying to evaluate the Mount Ashland Association's proposed ski area expansion, then Alan DeBoer, past president of MAA, and the Forest Service's man in Medford, Scott Conroy, have formed a cartel to deceive you.

Before the public hearings last year, DeBoer did an end run around city council because he recognized that he could never make his case here in Ashland. So he toured the state, galvanizing public support for this cherished project of his. He was so effective that when all the letters and testimony were catalogued, a clear majority stood in favor of the expansion. What was deliberately withheld from you is that a full two-thirds of this input was from outside Ashland.

Certainly few of these respondents would care about much beyond skiing. None will suffer any financial loss should MAA go bankrupt. Most never visit our watershed for any reason, save skiing, and can remain blase about its intrinsic value. None would be impacted by any consequent problems with our water supply.

So let us be generous, and say that as much as 30 percent of these non-Ashlanders were against the expansion. That means that 66 percent multiplied by 70 percent is 46.2 percent of the total vote would favor the expansion, due to the non-Ashlanders alone ... which is close to the total received. Which means that Ashlanders themselves were overwhelmingly against this expansion.

You didn't know this, did you? Of course not. The cartel didn't want you to. They want you to feel you are troglodytes standing in the way of progress.

Subsequent to all this testimony and input, Conroy issued a record of decision that stunningly recommends the absolutely most environmentally devastating of all the alternatives that MAA put before him. Since this was published about two months ago, 27 of us have filed appeals. If more had received it, studied it, and been adequately notified of the time limits for filing an appeal, I'm sure we would have had a tenfold greater response.

I don't know how the regional forester in Portland will decide on our appeals. If that decision should go against us, papers are already drawn up to file an injunction against MAA, barring any sort of construction, while the issue is heard in a court of law.

I write now to alert you to these facts: 1) The proposed expansion is the worst sort of "development," and does not constitute "progress." 2) Those Ashlanders opposed to this expansion are in the clear majority. 3) The city of Ashland is beholden to the wishes of its constituency. 4) The city is the actual owner of the Special Use Permit for the ski area. 5) It only leases this to MAA, at the city's sufferance. 6) Given the extreme aggression already displayed on this issue, it would not be surprising if, at any time following the Forest Service's judgment, on or before Dec, 23, MAA would be willing to incur fines by clearcutting at the base of the proposed expansion.

Don't let the tail wag the dog.