As lumber industry slumps, land for development sells • Ski the real deal in eastern Idaho • Bellevue loosens its belt • St. Anthony feeling too blue • Montana, Wyoming ski resorts roll out the deals

As lumber industry slumps, land for development sells

The Spokesman-Review reports that the Stimson Lumber Co. plans to sell 1,500 acres of commercial forestland near Farragut State Park in northern Idaho to a California developer who wants to rezone the property for resort development.

With lumber markets in steep decline, this is a trend many rural areas in the northwest can expect, according to the paper.

"Our land is an asset," said Andrew Miller, CEO of Portland-based Stimson. While growing trees is still the best value on most of the acreage, some sites are better suited to development, he said.

The company owns 90,000 acres in northern Idaho.

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Ski the real deal in eastern Idaho

The December issue of Travel and Leisure magazine lists five ski towns that "hold true to their local roots."

Among those towns are the Victor, Driggs and Tetonia areas.

According to the mag, here you can find a sophisticated meal near "stunning mountains and miles and miles of wilderness," including the Grand Teton National Park and nearby Grand Targhee Resort.

Another nearby town on the list is Bend, Oregon.

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Bellevue loosens its belt

The city of Bellevue is planning on annexing 100 acres of undeveloped land in Slaughterhouse Canyon, northeast of downtown.

According to the Mtn. Express, about half of those acres, plus additional property already in the city limits, is planned for a residential development called the Strahorn Canyon Ranch.

Under a Ketchum-area real estate agent and developer's plans, up to 150 houses would be built during four distinct construction phases.

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St. Anthony feeling too blue

When Sassy Floral painted the side of its building yellow, residents raised questions about how the paint job mixed with downtown St. Anthony's historic look.

As other businesses are joining in the colorful trend, the St. Anthony City Council is putting the issue on its agenda.

"Does anybody care about the building colors?" St. Anthony City Councilwoman Dee Rausch asked at a recent meeting.

The Upper Valley Standard Journal reports that Rausch suggested there should be a discussion about whether the trend is "of mutual benefit" to building owners downtown and to explore the possibilities of creating a historical district.

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Montana, Wyoming ski resorts roll out the deals

As the ski season gets underway in Idaho, the Associated Press reports that Wyoming and Montana ski resorts are rolling out deals in the face of hard economic times that are cutting into their advance bookings.

Nationwide, early sales and reservations figures for some destination ski resorts suggest the economy is putting a dent in the $6 billion ski industry.

At Jackson Hole, advance bookings for December were off about 30 percent to 50 percent from last year.

Jackson Hole Mountain Resort is debuting a new, $32 million aerial tram next weekend that can carry up to 100 skiers in a car at a time.