Eldora Wins Approval For New Lift And Terrain Expansion

NEDERLAND, CO — After five years of negotiations, Eldora Mountain Resort won approval for a new lift and terrain expansion Thursday, according to a report from the Daily Camera. The project will add 62 new acres of Roosevelt National Forest terrain in the Jolly Jug area, including approximately 27 acres of trails; 35 acres of gladed skiing, either a four- or six-person high-speed lift, and additional snow-making capabilities.

“It’s pretty exciting stuff. It’s been a long time coming,” Eldora general manager Brent Tregaskis told the Daily Camera by phone. "We couldn’t be happier the way it worked out, working with the county, the Sierra Club, the Middle Boulder Creek Coalition, et cetera, that we have been able to finally come to a conclusion on a really important lift for Eldora’s future.”

Some proposed elements of the project faced controversy, including plans for improvements on the resort's north side, which environmental activists warned could imperil a wildlife corridor in the Middle Boulder Creek watershed. Those plans were abandoned in the recent agreement, the Camera reports.

“On the heels of Earth Day, protection of Middle Boulder Creek and Colorado wildlife is cause for community-wide celebration,” Boulder attorney Mike Chiropolos, who represented the Sierra Club and the Middle Boulder Creek Coalition on expansion issues, told the Camera. "Special recognition goes to all the citizens who fought for Boulder’s namesake creek where it flows out of Indian Peaks Wilderness. Credit for listening goes to Ned, Boulder County, the Resort, Colorado Parks and Wildlife, and the Forest Service. This agreement should be looked to by the ski industry and the Forest Service nationwide. Climate threats to winter recreation reinforce the importance of protecting our best riparian habitat and migration corridors."

Get the full story from the Daily Camera here.