Should the State Lease Its Cannon?

listen:

FROM THE FRONT PORCH OF THE FRANCONIA VILLAGE STORE YOU CAN SEE THE TOP OF CANNON MOUNTAIN.

IT'S WHERE NEW HAMPSHIRE OLYMPIAN BODE MILLER DEVELOPED HIS UNIQUE STYLE.

THE SKI SLOPES ARE OWNED AND OPERATED BY THE STATE OF NEW HAMPSHIRE.

BUT A PROPOSAL TO LEASE OPERATION OF THE SKI AREA TO A PRIVATE COMPANY HAS RESIDENTS HERE TALKING.

THERE AREA THOSE – LIKE PLYMOUTH STATE COLLEGE STUDENT BRANDON GIEMETTI - WHO THINK THE LEASE PLAN IS A GREAT IDEA.

CUT-BRANDON
(“THE ABSOLUTE BEST THING THAT’D EVER HAPPEN. ITS GONNA BRING MORE PEOPLE HERE. IT’S EXACLTY WHAT HAPPENED AT SUNAPPEE. I USED TO SKI AT SUNAPEE ALL THE TIME AND THEN THE MUELLERS BOUGHT IT – IT WAS PACKED.)

THERE ARE ALSO THOSE WHO DON’T THINK IT’S SUCH A GREAT IDEA, LIKE JIM SEARS OF SUGAR HILL.

CUT-SEARS
(“I THINK THEY OUGHT TO KEEP IT THE WAY ITS BEEN FOR YEARS. A FAMILY MEMBER OF MINE WORKS UP THERE, MY FATHER WORKED UP THERE, MY GRANDMOTHER. I THINK IT’S FINE THE WAY ITS BEEN RUNNING. I THINK IF THEY GO PRIVATE WITH IT, IT COULD HURT SOME OF THE JOBS FOR THE LOCALS THAT WORK THERE.”)

AND THERE ARE THOSE – LIKE BRUCE COLE OF SUGAR HILL – WHO LIKE THE LEASE IDEA.

BUT THEY WONDER WHETHER A PRIVATE COMPANY WILL BE WILLING TO INVEST TIME AND MONEY IN A SKI AREA SURROUNDED BY PUBLIC LANDS.

CUT-BRUCE
(“IT LACKS THE APPEAL THAT SUNAPPEE HAD BECAUSE IT DOESN’T HAVE THE LAND TO DEVELOP - LIKE SUNAPPE HAD. THERES AREAS WERE THEY COULD TAKE ADVANTAGE OF LAND DEVELOPMENT - BUILD CONDOS AND DRAW PEOPLE INTO IT. IT’S ALL NATIONAL FOREST LAND AROUND IT…”)

AND FINALLY, THERE ARE THOSE WHO SIMPLY DO NOT LIKE THE IDEA THAT CANNON MOUNTAIN CONTINUES TO OPERATE AT LOSS.

THAT GROUP WOULD INCLUDE FRANCONIA VILLAGE STORE - OWNER STEVE HEATH.

HEATH SAYS HE SUPPORTED THE SUNAPEE LEASE IN 1998 AND SAYS THE TIME HAS COME TO GET THE STATE OUT OF SKI BUSINESS ALTOGETHER.

CUTHEATH1
(“I BELIEVE THAT PRIVATE ENTERPRISE WILL DO A BETTER JOB OF RUNNING THE MOUNTAIN AND PARTICULRLY OF MARKETING THE MOUNTAIN…WHICH WILL HAVE A POSITIVE INFLUENCE IN ALL THE BUSINESSES IN TOWN - THE HOTELS, THE MOTELS,THE RETAURNATS AND THE STORES.”)

BUT FRANCONIA RESIDENT AND DEMOCRATIC STATE REPRESENTATIVE MARTHA MCLEOD CALLS THE PROPOSAL IS PREMATURE.

MCLEOD SAID A LEGISLATIVE STUDY COMMISSION IS ALREADY LOOKING INTO THE FUTURE OF ALL THE STATE'S PARKS.

CUT-MCL
(“SO IF WE JUST TAKE ONE PIECE OF THAT, AND WE POP IT OUT, AND WE SO WERE GOING TO GO LEASE THAT OFF – AND WERE GOING TO DO IT VERY QUICKLY BECAUSE THE BILL SAYS TO DO IT WITHIN SIXTY DAYS OF PASSAGE. WHAT DOES THAT DO THO THE INTEGRITY OF THE REST OF THE PARKS SYSTEM?”)

MCLEOD ALSO ISN'T SURE SHE BUYS ALL THE TALK ABOUT CANNON OPERATING AT A LOSS.

SHE SAYS SKI AREA GENERATES ABOUT HALF THE ANNUAL INCOME FOR THE STATE PARKS SYSTEM.

AND SHE WONDERS WHAT THE NUMBERS WOULD LOOK LIKE IF THE LOCAL ECONOMIC IMPACT OF CANNON – SUCH AS ROOMS AND MEALS TAXES WERE FACTORED IN.

CUT-MCL2
(“IT ALL DEPENDS ON WHAT YOU PUT TOGETHER. IF YOU PULL ONE COMPANANT OF FRANCONA NOTCH STATE PARK OUT AND YOU SAY THIS PIECE OF IT HAS AN OPERATING LOSS. WHAT DOES THAT MEAN REALLY IN THE BIG PICTURE BECAUSE THAT MAY HAVE MORE VALUE TO IT THAN THAT ONE PROFIT AND LOSS STATEMENT OF THAT ONE PORTION OF THAT PARK”)

AND THEN THERE IS RICHARD MORRIS – ONWER OF THE FRANCONIA INN.

HE AGREES THAT THE TIME HAS COME FOR THE STATE TO GET OUT OF THE SKIING BUISNESS AT CANNON MOUNTAIN.

BUT HE ADDS THIS CAVEAT.

CUT-MORRISCUT
(I THINK THEY SHOULD START ANOTHER SKI AREA FURTHER UP NORTH – NEAR STARK, UP IN THAT AREA, TO GIVE SOME LIFE UP TO THE VERY NORTHERN PART OF NEW HAMPSHIRE. AND SO THE IDEA OF THE STATE BEING THE INOVATORS THAT IT WAS IN 1938 OR ‘32 WHENEVER CANNON WAS STARTED – TO GO AND DO IT AGAIN - FURTHER NORTH. TO PUT SOME ECONOMIC VITALITY UP THERE WOULD BE SOMETHNG THAT WOULD BE TREND-SETTING AND VERY FORWARD THINKING.)

MCLEOD SAYS THAT WHILE IT’S NOT GERMAIN TO THE EXISITING CANNON MOUNTAIN BILL, MORRIS’S IDEA MAY SPARK LATER DISCUSSION.

THE HOUSE RESOURCES, RECREATION AND DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE HAS SCHEDULED A HEARING ON THE CANNON LEASE BILL FOR WEDNESDAY MORNING.

FOR N-H-P-R NEWS, I’M TODD WELLINGTON