The New York Times reports on the bitter lease dispute that threatens to shut down Park City Mountain Resort in Utah. As this case shows, leasing adds unnecessary complexity to operating a ski area.
Read The Times story to learn more.
There's not currently a Cannon Mountain lease bill before the New Hampshire state Legislature. But we know lease proponents still aim to privatize the mountain, which would effectively carve out part of Franconia Notch State Park and turn it over to the private sector.
Like all state parks in New Hampshire, no money from the state's general fund is allocated to Cannon. New Hampshire state parks are funded only by revenue from user fees. Cannon is the largest single source of revenue for Franconia Notch State Park and the Division of Parks and Recreation. And it generates more than a third of the annual revenue of the entire park system.
Cannon has produced an average annual operating profit of more than $500,000 each year since 2007, when a new management team took over with a mission to make the mountain profitable.
