Girdwood: paradise with worldwide lure.

• Author: Bohi, Heidi
• Position: Towns in Transition

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When it comes to developing Girdwood into a four-season year-round resort town, ain't no mountain high enough to curb the enthusiasm of local residents and leaders who believe their piece of paradise has the potential to attract visitors worldwide.

Just 38 miles south of Anchorage, but with back-door wilderness opportunities offering everything from world-cup skiing and snowboarding to hiking, mountain biking, hang-gliding and whitewater rafting, Girdwood may turn out to be a prime example of what is possible when the public and private sectors partner in community development.

Residents and Outside snowbird investors have always had strong--and often opposing--opinions on what direction the community should head when considering development options, resulting in providing basic services and infrastructure for residents, along with creating more year-round jobs that contribute to economic development and sustainability.

Although there have been grassroots efforts to advance local improvements, in the past most of these efforts have stalled or failed because of a lack of concerted effort needed to advance the idea and secure funding and investors.

CHARGE IN WORKS

But that is changing. Over the last decade, cooperative public and private efforts have given Girdwood the momentum it needs to start to realize a master-plan vision that is, most agree, attainable.

In 2000, the organization Girdwood 2020 was founded to advocate for the development of the Glacier-Winner Creek recreation area, a mountain massif between Glacier and Winner creeks, long recognized for its potential as a new downhill ski area. The mountain could accommodate a ski area with year-round glacier skiing, more than 5,000 feet of vertical drop, and about 12,000 people, or three times the capacity of the existing Mount Alyeska ski area.

Besides the downhill potential, the area is ideal for backcountry skiers, mountaineers and summer hikers, and has high scenic and recreational values.

Although the giant undertaking has been tabled until investment capital and legislative support can be garnered, today Girdwood 2020 continues to be a respected advocacy group dedicated to making the community grow as an internationally recognized resort, developed through environmentally responsible economic measures.

The group continues to advance other efforts, such as advocating for basic water, power and sewer infrastructure, road improvements, multiuse trail...