SALT LAKE CITY, Utah (KUTV) — The debate over a $550 million gondola in Little Cottonwood Canyon continues, and now some major outdoor recreation companies are weighing in.
Representatives from companies like Black Diamond Equipment and Patagonia spoke in opposition of the gondola at the Wasatch Regional Front Council meeting on May 25 in Salt Lake City.
“Our stance was shaped by friends and colleagues who know and care about the area deeply and see the gondola as a local issue,” said Mason Daly representing Patagonia.
“Today we are calling on the council for a solution that preserves the landscape that utilizes infrastructure already in place to ease traffic in the area. It does not threaten watersheds, alter the natural landscape or chip away at protections granted by the roadless rule,” Daly continued.
The project goes beyond just building a gondola. It has multiple phases starting with adding more buses, bus stops, and tolling through Little Cottonwood Canyon. Next UDOT wants to widen Wasatch Boulevard and create snow sheds. The last phase is building the gondola.
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“I think input from all perspectives is important,” said Josh Van Jura, Project Director for the Little Cottonwood Canyon EIS.
He said that it’s important to have all voices represented in the conversation, whether they are big companies or one individual. He said part of the approval process is getting as much public input as possible.
“The NEPA process is dependent on public input, so the more public input we get the more informed decision we can make to verify that we did analyze all the impacts both completely and correctly,” Van Jura said.
The National Environmental Policy Act process for transportation projects requires agencies to get public input.
Patagonia has been vocal about their opposition to the gondola, posting Instagram posts against it and redirecting customers to sign a petition on their website. They’ve been in touch with local advocates to get the message out.
“We’ve been in constant contact with them to really help refine the messaging to make sure things are as accurate as possible from both ends,” said Grace Tyler, Development Director of Save Our Canyons.
Tyler says Save Our Canyons is advocating for lower cost transportation solutions in Little Cottonwood which doesn’t include the Gondola.
“When you see these national companies step up and really help advocate for the protection of the Wasatch it’s huge,” Tyler said. “Not only do they have a big following, but it really demonstrates how serious of an issue this is.”
Van Jura says they’ve considered a series of solutions to fix traffic congestion in the Canyon.
“I believe [the gondola project] does [have environmental benefits],” said Van Jura. “All the alternatives have impacts. The real benefit I see is all of the alternatives that we proposed are transit-based.”
UDOT’s decision about the project is expected to be announced this summer.
The Link LonkJune 20, 2023 at 10:55AM
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Outdoor recreation companies speak out against gondola project in Little Cottonwood Canyon - KUTV 2News
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