FAIRBANKS (AP) -- The oldest downhill ski area near Fairbanks may be turned into a gold mine.
The Fairbanks Daily News-Miner reports a Vancouver mining company wants to dig for gold on land occupied by Mount Aurora Skiland.
The property is owned by the Alaska Mental Health Trust Authority. The state-owned corporation manages state land to produce income that helps pay for health care of people who experience mental illness.
Skiland pays just $2,500 per year on its annual lease and the mining company would pay much higher rental fees.
Skiland Board member Jeff Fay says the ski area founded in 1962 has never been a money-maker. He says he hopes the mental health trust can see beyond the financial advantages and consider the ski area as a community resource.