10/25/98: Eco-Terrorism at Vail challenges ski industry -
[Cached Version]
Published on: 10/25/1998
Last Visited: 3/9/2001
You've got to have perspective , said Michael Kellett , executive director of Restore the North Woods , a Massachusetts-based environmental group.Restore , considered to be one of the more extreme groups facing developers in the East , is currently trying to create the Maine Woods National Park.I'd rather protect 3.2 million acres in Maine than save a few acres at a ski area , he said.
Restore has been involved in actions against ski area expansions at Sugarbush , Vt. , Loon and Waterville Valley , N.H. , and Wachusetts Mountain , Mass. , according to Kellett.The Loon issue over water for snowmaking went on for a decade , he said , and if anybody had reason to be frustrated , we did with Loon Mountain.But when Loon was taken over by new management , the two sides were able to sit down and work out an agreement , he said.
Eco-Terrorism is Slippery Slope'.
While admitting , I don't believe in wimpy compromising , Kellett said that he totally disagrees with the methods employed by environmental terrorists.I would agree with the concerns of the people who did it , but that's not the way to deal with it.
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As for future relations between environmental groups and ski areas , Kellett said that depends on the company.There are still some areas where the owners just don't get it , he said.The industry has changed from Mom and Pop operations and there are much bigger potential problems , he said.You can't ignore the issues you have to deal with.The ones who deal are doing fine ; the others will run into opposition..