Missoula, Mont. – October 5, 2023 – Montana Snowbowl, Inc. operates on the Lolo National Forest under a Ski Area Term Special Use Permit. This is a standard permit, used nationally by the Forest Service, that authorizes the use and occupancy of national forest system lands to construct, operate and maintain a winter sports resort, subject to the terms of the permit.
The current special use permit between Snowbowl and the Lolo National Forest was signed in 2004 and expires in 2044.
One of the terms under the permit requires Snowbowl to conduct an annual inspection of the aerial lifts and ensure that all applicable engineering requirements are met. This inspection is conducted by a licensed engineer and any deficiencies found during the inspection must be corrected prior to the Forest Service authorizing the lift to open to the public.
“We are following our normal process for this time of year in authorizing the ski lifts to operate,” said Carolyn Upton, Forest Supervisor on the Lolo National Forest. “This year, as part of the process, we did request that Snowbowl hire a third-party engineer to review all the lifts to make sure they were in compliance with new industry standards released in 2022 and to look at the lift involved in the unfortunate accident that happened in March.”
In May 2023, the new and revised national industry standards for aerial tramways, aerial and surface lifts, tows and conveyors went into effect. These were developed and approved by the American National Standard Institute B77.1 Committee, which is the organization/entity that establishes safety standard requirements for the design, manufacture, construction, operation, and maintenance of passenger ropeways to minimize danger and exposure to risk to passengers, operators, and maintenance personnel.
The incident in March prompted the Forest to issue a stop order on the Snow Park lift until an in-depth inspection could occur by a third-party engineer and all deficiencies corrected. The Forest also requested that Snowbowl update their operational procedures for chairlift operations and maintenance and revamp their training program ensuring all staff are properly trained.
Under the special use permit, the responsibility of safety is assigned to Snowbowl. The Forest Service does monitor the activities occurring under the special use permit to ensure compliance with the terms and conditions outlined in the permit. The Forest is working closely with Snowbowl to ensure that all the lifts are in compliance and any deficiencies noted have been corrected prior to authorizing the start of the winter season.
“Snowbowl is progressing in the work we have asked them to do,” said Upton. “Our goal is to continue to work with them toward permit compliance, so they are well-positioned for a successful winter recreation season.”
For more information about the Lolo National Forest, please visit the website at https://www.fs.usda.gov/lolo or follow updates on Facebook and X.
