ABSTRACT
This chapter presents an overview of the legal foundation for the south mountain expansion proposal. The Forest Service issued its first Land and Resource Management Plan for the White Mountain National Forest in 1986, and issued a new special use permit (SUP) for the South Mountain Expansion in 2002. The Loon Mountain Recreation Corporation (LMRC) responded positively to the Forest Service's solicitation of interest in future expansion and identified suitable adjacent ski terrain, and in response the Forest Service laid the groundwork for the South Mountain Expansion by setting aside approximately 1,000 acres of forest land on South Mountain for Loon's possible expansion as part of its approval of the 1986 Forest Management Plan. The Forest Service decision to allow for potential ski area expansion was based on its view that, although demand for skiing was growing at a slower rate than in the past, ski areas would market skiing opportunities more actively.
