A proposal by Telluride Helitrax to ferry in up to 600 skiers a season deep into the backcountry south and east of Silverton found little support among San Juan County commissioners on Wednesday.

“They don’t contribute anything to the coffers of Silverton or San Juan County, yet we have the impacts,” Kuhlman said, noting the Helitrax flights originate out of Telluride.

The Bureau of Land Management is accepting comments until Dec. 3 on Helitrax activities in San Juan County.

The company, which already operates locally and flies in 35 to 50 skiers a year to San Juan County backcountry, wants to bring in as many as 600 skiers a year and operate on more than 37,000 acres of BLM land to the northeast and southeast of Silverton.

The BLM has issued identified a “preferred alternative” to limit the heli-skiing to 300 skiers a year on about 14,183 acres north and east of Silverton.

Silverton resident Julie Singer appeared before the commissioners Wednesday expressing concern about heli-skiing’s impacts.

She said she thought the BLM’s approach was “pretty good” but would like to see heli-skiing ended in early spring to avoid conflicts with other backcountry users.

Singer also raised concern about lynx habitat and questioned whether San Juan County sees any benefit from the heli-skiing operation.

“They are coming in from Telluride, paying $950 a day to ski on San Juan County snow and they never really touch the ground,” Singer said.

Meanwhile, the operation may be interfering with backcountry users, Singer said, “which could be a detriment to the county.”

County Commissioner Pete McKay said he thinks the BLM “is proposing a pretty decent alternative” that he thinks “would work for everybody.”

But he suggested the county “see if we can get a surcharge” from the heli-skiing operation. He also suggested a cutoff of heli-skiing in early spring, when competing backcountry skiers, snowmobilers and snowshoers are active at higher elevations.
Commissioner Terry Rhoades said he thinks the BLM’s preferred alternative is a good middle ground.

Kuhlman said the county would send a letter to the BLM supporting the more limited heli-skiing operations on public land, and “we need to pursue this impact fee.”