On Monday, Sept. 20, the White River National Forest announced it has approved Copper Mountain Resort’s proposal to make some changes to the western side of the resort, which includes replacing and extending the Lumberjack chairlift.

The plan is for the existing three-person Lumberjack lift to be replaced with a high-speed detachable quad that climbs 600 feet farther uphill than Lumberjack’s current top terminal. The new chairlift would have an uphill capacity of about 2,400 people per hour. Monday’s approval also gave the thumbs up to the construction of a new beginner ski trail — Middle Roundabout Bypass trail — to connect to the West Ten Mile trail and for the resort to extend snowmaking to the new Lumberjack chairlift’s top terminal.

Dillon District Ranger Adam Bianchi said in a news release from the U.S. Forest Service that the improvements are within the resort’s operational boundary and follow its master plan.

Copper spokesperson Taylor Prather said that while there isn’t a timeline on these newly approved improvements, they are part of the resort’s multiyear Western Territory project. The project launches this year on the western side of the mountain and is geared toward beginner skiers, children and families.

This winter, the project kicks off with two family-friendly ski and ride areas called adventure zones, two new trails and a connector trail that include animation to educate skiers and riders on the history of western exploration in the area.