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Permit Violation Alleged After Film-Making Death

ASPEN, Colo. (AP) ― Three people have been accused of failing to get a permit for commercial film work on a national forest after a snowboarder died during a film shoot near Aspen.

Wallace Westfeldt died April 4 after snowboarding off a cliff. The Aspen Skiing Company said he was part of a company-sponsored filming operation.

The U.S. Forest Service issued citations in June to Steve Metcalf of the Aspen Skiing Company and to Brendan Kiernan and Frank Pickell of Futuristic Films in Denver.

The misdemeanor citations accuse them of unauthorized commercial activity and carry a $500 fine.

No one was charged with causing Westfeldt's death, which investigators said was accidental.

A ski company attorney says Metcalf is waiting for more information before deciding whether to contest the citation.

No one answered the phone at Futuristic Films today, the July Fourth holiday. No phone listing could be found for Kiernan or Pickell.

The 22-year-old Westfeldt was a competitive snowboarder and lived in the Aspen area.

(© 2008 The Associated Press. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.)


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