Utah city, Air Force weigh military ski resort

Rep. Rob Bishop, R-Utah, believes having a Park City ski lodge exclusively for military service members and their families will help save a local Air Force base, The Salt Lake Tribune reported.

Bishop is working to broker a deal between Park City and the Air Force to find a suitable location for a military "morale, welfare and recreation" resort in the ski community nestled on the Wasatch Back.

In the defense budget two years ago, Congress gave the Air Force 26 acres of former Bureau of Land Management property on the eastern edge of Park City to use for constructing the military members' getaway. But Park City leaders would like to see that land remain undeveloped as part of an open-space moat that shields the former mining camp from encroaching suburban sprawl.

Bishop said he wants to find a quick solution to ensure that the members of the nation's armed forces visit Park City.

"As we go in to the new [base closing commission] rounds, having a recreation facility there is another plus for the community, so we'd like to push to make sure it happens," Bishop said.