Group is appealing heli-skiing ruling

Save Our Canyons, a local environmental group, will appeal a recent federal court judge's ruling that permitted helicopter skiing in the Wasatch area to continue.

SOC, which filed the original lawsuit, will file its appeal soon with the 10th Circuit Court of Appeals, according to Lisa Smith, the group's executive director. The organization disagrees with a ruling by U.S. District Judge Ted Stewart that backed the Forest Service's granting of a new permit for helicopter skiing.

"The attorneys involved are passionate and committed, and our members have expressed concern," Smith said. "We had a guy walk in from the street and join. He was from Colorado and was skiing in the back country and said a helicopter almost landed on him. He saw a bumper sticker (for SOC) and came in and joined on the spot."