A mountain resort in Park City, Utah, is looking to Akin Gump Strauss Hauer & Feld lobbyists in Washington to help it whisk skiers to its slopes.
Former Rep. Victor Fazio (D-Calif.) and three of his Akin colleagues are lobbying the federal government to allow Canyons Resort to construct a gondola or other ski lift that would connect the ski area to neighboring Solitude Mountain Resort, according to a lobbying registration report filed with Congress this week. Partners J. David Carlin, Michael Rossetti and Arshi Siddiqui are the other lobbyists on the account.
The lobbyists didn’t respond to requests for comment. Canyons spokeswoman Niki Jensen didn’t have an immediate comment.
Utah Republican Rep. Rob Bishop and Sen. Orrin Hatch in November each introduced a bill that would let the federal government sell 30 acres of its land in Utah’s Wasatch Range to Canyons-SkiLink LLC, a subsidiary of Toronto-based Talisker Corp., which owns Canyons. The company would construct the ski lift on that land.
The bills face opposition from Utah officials, including Salt Lake City Mayor Ralph Becker and Rep. Jim Matheson (D-Utah), whose district includes the Wasatch Range.
“The parcel of land identified is critical to the sensitive Wasatch watershed, which provides clean, affordable drinking water to a growing population,” Matheson said in a statement. “I believe there is a way forward to balance growth, recreational access and watershed protection in the Wasatch Canyons, but this legislation isn’t the right answer.”
The House Natural Resources national parks, forests and public lands subcommittee approved Bishop’s bill on a 20-18 vote last month. The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee has yet to consider Hatch’s legislation.
Canyons also uses lobbyist Marcus Faust to advocate for it in Washington, according to congressional records. The resort paid him $100,000 for his lobbying work last year.
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