Who are we?
PowdertothePeople.org is a community-supported advocacy organization dedicated to
equal public access to public lands, and backcountry safety and etiquette through
outreach, education, communication and collaboration.

We formed in January 2005, primarily in reaction to increasing monopolization of public
lands by the Aspen Skiing Co. As snowmobile skiers, we were effectively being shut out
of our historical access to the ski runs off Richmond Ridge. Since then, we have been
raising money and awareness of this issue, and promoting backcountry safety and
etiquette so that we can all share our public lands.

What is the issue?
Since 2005, a large part of Richmond Ridge has been off limits to private motorized use because the Forest Service has been enforcing an obscure rule that allows only groups with special permits (currently only the Aspen Skiing Co.) to access the area. Last season the Skico paid a Forest Service ranger to patrol the area regularly; this season enforcement has been more lax.

Because the provision in the Forest Service plan was implemented long ago and, we believe, without sufficient public input, we would like to revisit the issue. Just before the 2005-06 season, PowdertothePeople.org and Skico negotiated a "gentlemen's agreement by which snowmobiles are allowed to access one third of the area previously "closed" - the runs on McFarlane's ridge and bowl. But another several hundred acres of mostly intermediate ski terrain is still off limits - unless you have $315 to pay Skico to take you there in a snowcat, or you hike.

White River National Forest Travel Management Plan is up for renewal. This plan is now in an exaggerated update period with public comment being taken again in the fall of 2007. It should be finalized sometime after that.

Our argument is that a group of responsible users who advocates equal, free access to public lands, and promotes responsible backcountry use and safety to boot, should be given equal treatment to the Skico, whose Powder Tours operation caters to the moneyed elite.

Negotiation continues with both the Aspen Skiing Co. and the Forest Service.

Where is this area we're talking about?
Richmond Ridge is a north-south running ridge that runs several miles behind Aspen Mountain. The area in question comprises about 800 public acres: 400 acres are east- facing - this is the area at the center of the debate because the snow here is generally the best and most consistent. The rest of the land is a patchwork of public and private lands; this includes Little Annie Basin, a popular area for skiing and snowmobiling that is generally west-facing and gentle open terrain.

Who are the users?
Aspen Mountain Powder Tours, operated by the Aspen Skiing Co., and its clients are now the main users ofthe area. Powder Tours can bring up to 1,700 people out per season - up to three snowcats per day, 11 people per cat, at a fee of $315 per person (figures are for the 2005-06 season). The Skico pays $150 per year for this privilege. Not a penny more is generated for our community, as a powder tour (like lift tickets) is considered a non-tangible good, and un-taxable. Apparently, you cannot touch or feel a powder tour.

Recreational users include skiers, snowboarders, snowmobilers and private snowcat owners. Motorized use is allowed on the county roads, such as Little Annie Road, Midnight Mine Road and Richmond Ridge Road, but is restricted on the winter-only roads most recently maintained by the Aspen Skiing Co. for its Powder Tours. Non- motorized users can go anywhere on the U.S. Forest Service lands.

Who has authority over this area?
The U.S. Forest Service (the public) owns the majority of Aspen Mountain and the land~ on both sides of Richmond Ridge, with the exception of a patchwork of private mining claims (some of which are being strategically bought by the Aspen Skiing Co.). Much of the private land is on the west/Little Annie side of Richmond Ridge.

The Skico operates its Powder Tours under a "special use" permit that stipulates NON- EXCLUSIVE USE. Incidentally, the permit area is not at all considered pristine - it is designated a "7.1 Residential-Forest Intermix" area, which means it's rated 7.1 on a scale of 1 to 8.25 (don't ask us). Higher numbers indicate higher use, higher density, and more highly developed mixed-use areas.

With the exception of some land directly behind the Gondola and now a couple mining claims on the east side of the ridge, the Aspen Skiing Co. owns none of the land in question.

What are the next steps?
Awareness, negotiation and having our voices heard publicly. We are currently trying to negotiate more access with the Aspen Skiing Co.; however, since they aren't the landowners, any agreement is tenuous at best. We weighed in on the first draft of Travel Management Plan, with more than 100 comments on the Richmond Ridge area, and encourage anyone interested to comment again in the fall 2007 comment period. In the meantime, we are continuously keeping the lines of communication open with the Forest Service and the Aspen Skiing Company.

What can be done to help?
Be knowledgeable, talk to anyone who might listen (including public officials), and/or become a member of PowdertothePeople.org. Membership gets you free snowmobile parking atop Aspen Mountain, other goodies, and partnership in a just cause. Visit the “join and donate” section of this website for more information on membership levels. Your dues and donations help us further our goals; we don't have any paid staff members, consultants or overhead - really, no operational expenses - so anything you give goes straight to the cause. If you sign up for more information, we will try to send regular updates, but please be patient as our manpower, time and resources are still minimal.

Why should I care?
If you use a motorized vehicle to access Richmond Ridge, the restricted access impacts you in an obvious way.

If you ski back there on your own power, you now have to share the area with up to three snowcats - or 33 people - per day, a handful of snowmobiles that use the snowcat roads to get to McFarlane's, and whatever illegal users are out there. So wouldn't it be better for you if the snowmobile users went away? Maybe, but that could give Skico the impetus to apply for and - due to their cozy relationship with the Forest Service - be granted additional user days. And a responsible, permit-holding group of users who have a stake in the area, and can help look out for the rogue users, is better than the poachers that would surely crop up if this unfair situation persists.

Even if you don't use the area much, or at all, it's an issue of equality, fairness, and the right of the public to have access to public lands. Giving one private corporate entity exclusive motorized access to a chunk of public land is just not right. The fact that it cos1 so much to get repeated powder runs back there is even more illogical. The precedent of single private user controlling an area which for the past 50 years has been enjoyed by anyone knowledgeable and responsible enough to be there, must not be set.