RANGELEY – Saddleback Mountain is a busy place these days, with plans under way to improve and revitalize the ski area were set into motion. Touring Saddleback on Friday morning with new owners Bill and Irene Berry, Sen. Susan Collins, R-Maine, got a first-hand glimpse of the mountain’s grand future. “It is wonderful to see this development,” she said after touring the site.

Some of the many improvements for this year are new lifts and trails, a terrain park and the addition of 10 miles of snow-making pipe, boosting snowmaking capabilities from 50 percent, to being able to cover 80 percent of the mountain with man-made snow. The most impressive project of the summer, however, has been the renovation of the existing base lodge. The new ski lodge, while keeping the rustic, rough-hewn charm of the old facility, will be big enough to house a day care center, retail and rental shops, and learning center, as well as other amenities.

Collins said she was very impressed with the Berrys’ “commitment to the community, ” as exemplified by their use of local contractors. On any given day, between 75 and 100 people are working on the mountain, and this boost in employment won’t end when the construction does.

In the past year, full-time employment at the mountain has increased from nine year-round employees to 26, while seasonal employment is estimated to jump from 71 persons in 2003/2004 to 120 in 2007/2008. With the addition of the proposed 125-room hotel, complete with conference center, pool and restaurant, jobs and revenue are projected to rise for many years to come. “The almost $30 million investment is a boon not only to the tourists who will ski here, but also to those who live here, ” Collins said.