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Forest Servicedenies RobinsonSierra ski permitThe Chief of the U.S. Forest Service has denied a request by the Inyo County Board of Supervisors that a portion of the High Sierra Primitive Area be excluded from wilderness classification so that it could be developed as a commercial ski area.The area in question is Robinson Basin, located west of Independence, California in the Inyo National Forest. At a public hearing held in Independence last August proponents for the request stressed the need for additional winter sports developments within convenient reach of skiers from Southern California, and the importance of such developments to the economy of Inyo County.Conservation groups and individuals testifying in opposition objected to opening any portion of the classified wilderness system to commercial development, and questioned the quality of Robinson Basin as a winter sports site.After the public hearing ChiefForester Richard E. McArdle received considerable additional testimony from both sides. His decision of June 21 states in part: “The piecemeal opening of established primitive areas in order to serve specialized kinds of uses can only lead to fragmentation of the National Forest wilderness system. I cannot permit such methods or results. I' believe it is necessary to study the whole High Sierra Primitive Area and its relationship to other National-Forest resources to determine proper boundaries of the area for final classification. In making this determination, we must consider whether the needs for other resources can be supplied elsewhere.”An extensive Forest Service study of the High Sierra Primitive Area to determine its wilderness character and value is now under way. This study will show which part or parts of the Primitive Area and adjacent terrain should be classified as a “Wilderness Area” under Regulation U-l and which part or parts, if any, should be added or excluded. The study and formal classification action is expected to be completed in 1963, according to Regional Forester Charles A. Connaughton.cccrttti\\
Newspaper Details
Redlands Daily Facts
Redlands, California, US
Sat, Jul 15, 1961
Page 2
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Ingrid W.
USA 16 Apr 2020
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