Mammoth Mountain sends plan for June Mountain to forest service

October 19, 2012

On Sept. 27, the Inyo National Forest sent a “letter of non-compliance” to Mammoth Mountain Ski Area, putting the ski area on notice that leaving June Mountain closed indefinitely was not acceptable.

The letter gave MMSA until Oct. 15 to respond. This week, it did, said Jon Reggelbrugge, the district ranger for the Mammoth and Mono Lake districts.

“MMSA met the deadline and submitted an operating plan,” he said. “We are reviewing that plan. We may request some changes as we have some questions about some aspects.”

The plan is about 20 pages long, he said, and there are no other deadlines as to how long the forest and MMSA can take to work out the details of the plan.

He added that the decision to send the letter of non-compliance is subject to appeal by MMSA, and an appeal has to be postmarked within 45 days of the date of the letter (Sept. 27).

So far, no appeal has been filed, he said.

Here is a list of the “corrective actions” the forest service required from MMSA in the letter it sent out:

• Provide Forest Supervisor Ed Armenta with a list of actions and a schedule by which MMSA intends to analyze and plan for the sustainable future of June Mountain Ski Area. 
• Provide a 2012-2013 winter operating plan that identifies how MMSA will provide for public safety and ensure infrastructure, equipment, and supplies are secured and monitored. The plan has to address monitoring, avalanche control, signage, and emergency notification procedures.
• By June 30, 2013, provide a summary report documenting MMSA’s plan for sustainable operation of June Mountain.