USDA Gives $650,000 Loan to Historic Oregon Ski Area

The historic Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort in Oregon will be getting a big-time upgrade thanks to a $650,000 loan from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development (USDA). The resort will use the loan to build a new rental shop to support the ski programs and local economy of the Anthony Lakes recreation area, according to USDA Oregon State Director Jim Carmack.

“This investment is more than a loan for a historic recreation area; it’s a one part of a whole to strengthen both local opportunity and Oregon’s outdoor recreation economy,” Carmack said in a press release. “USDA is pleased to partner in this project and ensure this community landmark continues to serve residents and visitors for long into the future.”

The funding comes as part of the USDA’s Rural Economic Development Loan and Grant Program (REDLG) in partnership with Oregon Trail Electric Cooperative (OTEC). The REDLG program helps provide funding for rural projects through local utility organizations. After a local utility organization receives the loan (which is zero interest), it passes the loan on to local businesses for projects that create job opportunities in rural areas.

With a new rental shop, the resort hopes to provide a better experience for its guests while also creating new jobs at the resort.

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For Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort, the funding could not have come at a better time. The resort has been operating for over 85 years, and its outdated programs, rentals, and repairs teams operate out of a 70-year-old building in dire need of a replacement. The USDA investment, alongside funds from additional community contributors and donations, will be put towards a new facility, which will be two stories tall and will house retail space, the repair shop, and seasonal staff accommodations. According to the USDA, the cost of the new facility is $1.8 million.

Located in Oregon’s Wallowa-Whitman National Forest, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort is owned and operated by the nonprofit Anthony Lakes Outdoor Recreation Association (ALORA). ALORA believes the new building is key to serving tourists and operating more safely.

“ALORA is proud to partner with OTEC and USDA through the Rural Economic Development Loan program to make this new rental shop facility possible,” ALORA Marketing Director Chelsea Judy said. “This project is much more than a new building, it is an investment in the future of outdoor recreation in our region. This updated facility will allow us to better serve our guests, create more opportunities for youth to learn and participate in outdoor recreation, and strengthen the overall experience at Anthony Lakes. We are grateful for both OTEC and the USDA’s partnership and investment in our rural community, and we look forward to seeing the lasting impact this project will have for generations to come.”

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In recent years, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort has been struggling financially to keep up with increasing costs of operating ski resorts. In 2010, its previous owners cut ties with the resort due to its financial issues. It was offered to the local communities of Union and Baker Counties. Fred Warner, who was then serving as the Baker County Commission Chair, did everything in his power to keep the resort alive. He helped reallocate the Baker County Development Corporation (BCDC) to ALORA, which appointed a board of directors, hired management, and ultimately saved the resort.

“Warner knew how much the ski area meant to the local communities, and it was through Warner’s passion for Anthony Lakes that the ski area was given another chance,” the resort writes. 

With funding for a new building, Anthony Lakes Mountain Resort hopes to better serve its guests while also contributing to the local communities that gave it a second chance at life. While the resort has not provided a completion target, the building is something Anthony Lakes skiers certainly have to look forward to.