An environmental review is under way as the owners of Silverton Mountain pursue a proposal to diversify terrain for helicopter skiing on federal land.
The Durango Herald reports Silverton Mountain owners Aaron and Jen Brill were hoping they could avoid an environmental assessment since one had been in 2008.
Aaron Brill says the delays from this new review will make it unlikely that their proposal will be approved by the Bureau of Land Management's Tres Rios Field Office in time for the ski season.
The review is being conducted under the National Environmental Policy Act. Federal officials ordered the assessment to compile a list of concerns and issues in the project area.
Residents are worried about the project's potential to limit backcountry terrain.
