Vail Pass Task Force garners management grant

SUMMIT COUNTY - Efforts to manage winter use at Vail Pass will get a $20,000 boost this winter with a grant from the National Forest Foundation going to the Vail Pass Task Force.

The money will likely go toward increased education and monitoring, said Kim Hedberg, of the Backcountry Snowsports Alliance.

At issue in the intensely used area is the separation of motorized and non-motorized activities. As many as 25,000 people ski, snowshoe and ride their snowmobiles on trails and in the backcountry around the pass, a number that represents a leveling off of use, according to Minturn-based Forest Service snow ranger Don Dressler.

Formed 15 years ago, The Vail Pass Task Force includes both motorized and non-motorized users collaborating on a management plan that gives each faction room to play. But Hedberg said there are still some "hot spots," where more intensive management efforts are needed to avoid conflicts between the two groups.

"The task force and the Forest Service have battled together to keep the fees down but maintain the needed services," Dressler said. "If we could get more volunteers to do parking lot patrols and education, it would free up Forest Service rangers to do law enforcement."

The group isn't yet sure what it will spend the money on, and will meet Tuesday, Oct. 18, at 9 a.m. in Minturn at the Forest Service visitor center to discuss options. Dressler said some of the possibilities include new snowmobiles for patrolling the area, new maps and signs and better marking of routes, as well as additional training for volunteers.