After 13 months of negotiation with key stakeholders, Representative Ann Kirkpatrick has announced the U.S. Department of Agriculture, USDA has granted the permit allowing snowmaking to begin at Arizona Snowbowl.
This is just another step towards ending the seven-year battle over this cost-effective jobs project.
“This will bring hundreds of new jobs to Flagstaff and have a tremendous economic impact, says Kirkpatrick. “It’s important for us to realize that potential. However, we have to do it with balance.”
Rep. Kirkpatrick has been working with the Agriculture Department and other involved parties to find a path forward for this effort that addresses all of the issues under discussion, and the permit reflects that process.
It gives the stakeholders and the community options as they craft an agreement that creates jobs, strengthens the economy, secures a long-term water source for Flagstaff and acknowledges the sacredness of the San Francisco Peaks to our Native American tribes.
“The stakeholders are putting in the time and effort it takes to find a consensus solution that truly meets the needs of our community. This permit gives us the control and the flexibility we need to move forward,” said Rep. Kirkpatrick. “We can find the right balance of encouraging growth, protecting our environment and respecting our tribal communities.
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