KILLINGTON, Vt. (AP) -A group of skiers at the Killington ski resort who hold what they thought were lifetime season tickets are joining together to fight a plan by the resort’s new owner to do away with the passes.

The Killington Skiers Advocate Association hopes to pressure Powdr Corp. to honor the lifetime passes members were issued for being early investors in the ski area.

People holding lifetime passes have filed more than 50 complaints about Powdr’s plans with the Vermont Attorney General’s Office.

In a letter to the Killington Select Board, the group said Powdr needed “to live up to the spirit and not just the letter of their agreements.” The letter claims that without members’ early support of Killington the resort “probably wouldn’t exist.”

“These lifetime pass holders may not purchase day tickets or passes for their own use but they are some of the area’s most dependable customers in terms of food, equipment, clothing and amenities,” said the June 4 letter.

But Powdr officials say passes were only valid for as long as the company that owned Killington remained in business. Powdr is going to honor the passes for two more seasons.

Killington’s new president, Chris Nyberg, said if Powdr honored the 800 or so season passes, it would threaten the resort’s ability to sell future season passes. He said Powdr officials learned of the passes after the $85.2 million sale of Killington and Pico had been completed.

“By finding out about these passes at that late date, it became evident it could change the overall monetary structure,” Nyberg said.

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Information from: Rutland Herald, http://www.rutlandherald.com/

AP-ES-06-20-07 1108EDT