Q. Who has opposed leasing Cannon Mountain to a private operator?
A. Gov. Maggie Hassan; Department of Resources and Economic Development Commissioner George Bald; DRED/New Hampshire Parks & Recreation; Cannon Mountain management; State Park System Advisory Council; Cannon Mountain Advisory Commission; Society for the Protection of New Hampshire Forests; Conservation NH; Franconia Board of Selectmen and Friends of Franconia Notch State Park.
Q. Who are the primary supporters of leasing Cannon Mountain?
A. Last year, state Sen. Jeb Bradley was the prime sponsor of the defeated leasing bill, SB217.
Q. Has the state officially studied the impact of leasing Cannon, including whether privatizing the mountain would make financial sense?
A. No.
Q. So lawmakers have no idea whether the state's taxpayers would be better off with Cannon under state control or leased to a private operator?
A. That's correct.
Q. Does Cannon lose money?
A. No. While the mountain had a history of losing money, Cannon has produced an average operating profit of $515,000 annually since 2007, when a new management team took over. In fact, management turned a $1.5 million deficit into a $1 million surplus in just four years -- and during a deep recession, no less. (For more information, see our Positive Trends page.)
Q. What does the state do with revenue earned at Cannon?
A. Cannon is the largest single source of revenue for Franconia Notch State Park and the Division of Parks and Recreation. Cannon generates more than a third of the annual revenue of the entire park system.
Q. Does the state subsidize Cannon's operations?
A. No. Like all state parks in New Hampshire, no money from the general fund is allocated to Cannon. New Hampshire state parks are funded only by revenue from user fees.
Q. What about funding for capital improvements, like new lifts, groomers and snowmaking?
A. Aside from half the cost of the Mittersill Double Chair, in recent years capital improvements have been funded by a combination of Cannon revenue and the Cannon Mountain Capital Improvement Fund. By law, the Cannon Mountain Capital Improvement Fund is funded by lease revenue from Mount Sunapee. (For more information on the Sunapee lease, see our Sunapee vs. Cannon page.)
Q. How can I contact someone from Save Cannon Mountain?
A. Send us an email at cannon4080@gmail.com
