SILVERTON, Colo. (AP) — Some residents think two competing proposals for ski resorts in this southwestern Colorado community will ruin its rural feel and small-town charm. Others say the economically depressed region could use the jobs and increased tourism that the proposed resorts would bring.

The estimated 600,000 tourists who visit Silverton each year, many on the narrow gauge train that runs between Durango and Silverton, form the backbone of the town’s economy. The mountain hamlet’s economy went bust after Sunnyside Gold Inc., shut down its gold mining operation in 1991, reducing the town’s population to about 400.

"They’ve been gone for some time, and we need more residents. We need more jobs for residents. We need more opportunities," said Claudia Moe, Silverton’s clerk. "The economy is not good. It’s a summer-only tourist-based economy."

More skiing could jump-start the town’s finances by helping to create more sales tax revenues. But some critics worry that bringing skiing to Silverton would turn it into another ritzy resort community, such as Aspen or Telluride.

Response to the ski resort proposals was mixed during public hearings held in Silverton by the BLM, which manages much of the land where the ski areas are being proposed, said Charlie Higby, a realty specialist with the BLM.

One proposal by Aaron Brill, the owner of Core Mountain Enterprise, is to build a single ski lift on private land two miles north of Silverton and four miles east of Colorado Highway 550.

Brill needs BLM approval because some of the slopes intersect about 1,600 acres of federal land. The 4,500-foot lift would include 110 chairs and 15 towers that would carry skiers 2,000 vertical feet up the mountain, known as Storm Peak.

Brill plans to call the area Silverton Outdoor Learning and Recreation, which would also offer outdoor education programs, including backcountry hiking, as part of the package. Brill could not be reached for comment.

The second proposal, called Velocity Peak, is the brainchild of former speed skier Jim Jackson. In addition to a ski area, his plan calls for a tram that would travel to the top of nearby 12,000-foot Storm Peak.

For the past nine years, Jackson has been proposing two to three lifts, a hotel at the bottom of the mountain and a host of other summer activities to tap into what he believes is a lucrative tourist market.

In all, Jackson’s project would cover 3,600 acres.

"We thought about skiing and the potential there, but given the fact that it was expensive, we came to realize that building a tramway or a gondola for the tourists would be nice," he said. "We thought this had great potential for the tourism base."

Both developers oppose each other’s projects because they are competing to build in the same area.