An application to build new ski lifts and more than double the size of Tamarack Resort’s ski area is no longer active.
The resort’s expansion application lapsed last year after a one-year planning permit to further study the proposal was issued in 2024 by the Boise National Forest, the lead permitting agency for the project. That permit expired in March 2025.
“After consultations with Forest Service staff, Tamarack determined that more information and analysis was needed,” said Mike Williamson, a spokesperson for the Boise Forest. “They haven’t submitted anything more to us regarding a Special Use Permit, therefore we have nothing to consider.”
The planning permit gave Tamarack access to 2,341 acres of national forest land surrounding the resort to gather “technical and environmental information to determine the feasibility of the site as a winter recreation area,” according to a copy obtained by Valley Lookout through a Freedom of Information Act request.
Tamarack President Scott Turlington confirmed the resort no longer has any active plans for expansion, but said he still expects to pursue expansion in the future.
“That should not be interpreted as Tamarack abandoning its long-term expansion goals,” Turlington said. “Our position remains that thoughtful, well-planned expansion can provide meaningful long-term benefits to Valley County, the State of Idaho, outdoor recreation, and Tamarack Resort.”
Turlington did not disclose why the resort is no longer pursuing its application with the Forest Service, but suggested that discussions about a land exchange involving national forest lands bordering the resort played a role.
The land exchange proposal is still being developed, as Valley Lookout reported, but early concepts include the national forest lands around the resort in a trade to the Idaho Department of Lands for state endowment land around Payette Lake.
“The broader land exchange process remains an important factor in determining the appropriate jurisdiction, agency process, and timing for any future proposal,” Turlington said. “Until there is more clarity on that process, it would be premature for us to speculate further.”
Tamarack’s ski area currently operates under a long-term lease agreement with the lands department for use of about 2,100 acres of state endowment land. The resort also includes more than 2,000 acres of private land in the base area, including the land on which the Tamarack Village is built.
Land outside the resort’s boundaries is currently owned by the Boise National Forest to the south and the Payette National Forest to the north.
Expansion onto the Forest Service lands would require a special use permit, similar to one under which Brundage Mountain Resort operates. That would require a full environmental review under the National Environmental Policy Act.
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If the adjacent lands became state endowment lands, any expansion proposals would likely avoid federal review and only be subject to local and state review processes.
How does Tamarack plan to expand?
Improvements planned in Tamarack’s expired expansion application closely follow plans outlined in the resort’s 2020 master plan. The total cost of the improvements was estimated at $150 million in a 2021 application to initiate environmental review of the projects.
The expansion would increase the resort’s 1,610 acres of lift-served terrain by about 2,100 acres. Most of the new terrain, or about 1,744 acres, would be south of the resort’s existing boundaries, with another 355 acres to the north.
The expired application called for the construction of five new chairlifts, including a 10-passenger gondola from the base area to the summit of Lone Tree Peak to the south of the existing ski area.
A new 8,000-square-foot, year-round day lodge with seating for 275 guests would also be built at the top of Lone Tree Peak, under the plans.
The existing Wildwood Chairlift, which was repossessed by helicopter in 2012 and reinstalled in 2019, would also be extended about 1,400 feet to increase its vertical rise by 350 feet.
The expansion would also add about 42 miles of downhill mountain biking and hiking trails, a rock-climbing area, and mountain rollercoaster.
Overall, the improvements would increase the resort’s daily guest capacity from about 2,820 guests currently to about 6,880 guests.
Base area development continues
Despite the unclear timeline for an expansion of the resort’s ski area, residential development in Tamarack’s base area continues. The resort is currently building 60 new townhomes near the main entrance on West Mountain Road and a new 13-lot subdivision called Ponderosa Ridge.
In 2024, Tamarack purchased about 500 acres of land directly east of national forest lands south of the resort that are identified for future expansion. The purchase linked the resort’s base area land holdings to about 300 acres further to the south that Tamarack acquired since 2019.
Tamarack is cleared to build up to 2,043 residential lots under a concept plan approved by Valley County. So far, more than 700 of those lots have been platted.
Tamarack is owned by MMG Equity Partners, a real estate investment firm based in Miami. The firm acquired an interest in Tamarack in 2018 alongside two other investment firms, which MMG bought out in 2025.
Since acquiring Tamarack, MMG has invested more than $250 million into improvements, including finishing construction on the Tamarack Village, rebuilding the Osprey Meadows Golf Course, reinstalling the Wildwood Chairlift, completing the Mid-Mountain Lodge, and opening the Tamarack Marina on Lake Cascade.
Tamarack’s previous owner and visionary, Jean-Pierre Boespflug of France, declared bankruptcy in 2008 after defaulting on a $250 million loan from Credit Suisse. The Tamarack Municipal Association, composed of property owners in the resort, resumed the resort’s operations in 2010 and continued them until the 2018 sale.
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