Wasatch Backcountry Alliance

[T-Dawg]

This past fall a few concerned SLC backcountry riders got together to create a new organization to act as advocates for the Wasatch backcountry community to preserve the balance between resort and backcountry terrain. The Canyons-to-Solitude "Ski Link" was shouted down by a concerted effort by the community (which showed the effect of grassroots opposition), but the ski resorts are restless, organized, powerful, and still have very ambitious plans to dramatically expand their reach, and will do so more strategically next time.

Our first two main goals are 1) to create a critical mass of members to show how many people in Utah and around the world appreciate the Wasatch backcountry, and 2) generate data from those people that we can use to influence policy makers.

We already have over 1000 members and have been invited to be a stakeholder in the yearlong Mountain Accord effort (http://mountainaccord.com/), and have contracted with the University of Utah to create and execute a 10 minute survey of our members that will generate invaluable information. With winter on the wane we are putting out a big effort to get new members and potential survey-takers on board, as well as doing some fundraising to help with the (very reasonable) fees the U is charging for the survey.

So if you ski the Wasatch backcountry, have skied it, or even hope to ski it, please go to http://wasatchbackcountryalliance.org/ and do the 20 second sign up, and aside from the periodic updates and the aforementioned survey we promise not to bug you too much! (and we also have a facebook page as well).

Thanks very much for your support!

[Johnny]

This is GREAT. We need more of this...
Thanks for sharing!