Two Colorado groups sue to stop skiing expansion

DENVER, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Two environmental groups and a retired government employee sued on Thursday to stop a planned expansion of the Telluride ski resort in southwestern Colorado that would increase skiing terrain by at least 70 percent.

The lawsuit alleges that the U.S. Forest Service, which permits the resort to operate on public forest land, violated environmental laws by failing to take steps to protect streams and the air when it approved the expansion plans last summer.

The lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court by Colorado Wild Inc. and Sheep Mountain Alliance, alleges that the expansion would damage streams from which water would be drawn for snow-making and would damage air quality because of increased auto traffic.

Another plaintiff is a Telluride resident, Philip Miller, described as a retired Forest Service employee whose duties included administration of ski areas on government land.

The Forest Service is the only defendant. The 1,050-acre resort is operated by the privately-owned Telluride Ski and Golf Co.

Representatives of the U.S. Department of Agriculture, parent agency of the Forest Service, and of the resort said they had no comment on the lawsuit.

Earlier this year, other environmental groups lost their legal battle against the Forest Service to block expansion of the Vail, Colo. ski resort, owned by Vail Resorts. That expansion is nearing completion.