Feds to redo environmental review of ski resort

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THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
Last updated August 8, 2008 2:55 p.m. PT

DENVER -- The company proposing a housing and retail development near the Wolf Creek ski area has submitted a new application to build a road across federal land, launching new reviews of the project that had been held up in court.

The U.S. Forest Service will soon begin a new environmental analysis of the proposal by the Leavell-McCombs Joint Venture in southwest Colorado.

Environmentalists dropped a lawsuit this year when the Forest Service agreed to redo the environmental impact statement for the proposed Wolf Creek Village. The developers and managers of the ski area also settled lawsuits over the project in the Rio Grande National Forest.

Operators of the ski area, which is on national forest land, opposed the plans for the development on private property at the base of the ski slopes. Texas billionaire Billy Joe "Red" McCombs wants to build 222,100 square feet of commercial space and enough housing for up to 10,500 people on 287.5. acres of land he owns.