Mountain Resorts

Mountains are the home of significant ecological resources - wildlife habitat, higher elevation plant systems, steep slopes and delicate soils, and water systems. These resources are subject to very visible and growing pressures, most of which are caused by the unique features of mountains. Using as case studies four mountain resorts in four ranges in the US and Canada, this book analyzes the extent to which the law protects the ecological systems of mountains from the adverse impacts associated with the development, operation, and expansion of resorts. Each of the case studies involves different types of landowners, somewhat similar ecological features, and very different legal regimes, as ''Mountain Resorts'' sets out to discover whether the law is capable of considering the mountain ecosystem as opposed to the individual components of the ecosystem.In order to examine these issues, the book takes an interdisciplinary approach, with contributions primarily from ecologists and lawyers who focus on ski-related activities, increasing four-season use of the mountains, and expanding residential, commercial and recreational development at the mountains' base. Its analysis of an array of US and Canadian federal, state, and local laws provides a multifaceted exploration of the intersection of ecology and the law at mountain resorts.