Good old Smokey the Bear. Wouldn’t it be great if that lovable, shovel-wielding bear showed up to your next Forest Service meeting? He would listen, work through your issues with you, and come up with the perfect compromise. He would love your Sprungs as an environmentally-friendly alternative to traditional building, help you install that zipline for your new four-season operation, and apologize when project proposal review took him more than the usual three days.

The reality of the ski industry’s partnership with the Forest Service is that it can be frustrating and tedious at times. Like any successful relationship, it requires communication, compromise and patience. Not to mention one-to-one dialogue.

That’s what we did in California. At the suggestion of Region 5 Regional Forester Bernie Weingardt—a longtime and avid skier—the California Ski Industry Association and Forest Service conducted a joint review of our winter sports program. The goal was to renew the partnership, spotlight innovations, and create plans for action.

A team of leaders, five from California’s ski industry and seven from the Forest Service, prepared a list of questions to explore as they visited multiple forests and resorts throughout the state. Among them: How would you describe the relationship with your counterparts? What are you doing to develop the skills your winter sports staff will need in the future? How do your alternative structures meet the intent of BEIG (Built Environment Image Guide)? What are best practices for managing boundaries? During the winter of 2007, the team conducted three visits to five National Forests and seven resorts. We laughed, we cried, we’d certainly do it all over again.


The Review Process
Typically, local Forest Service leadership and staff met with local resort principals in the morning, followed by an afternoon site visit. In the morning meeting, anyone could bring up issues or concerns. Openness and honesty were encouraged. Once the issues were on the table, the group spent the balance of the session discussing those deemed most important.

Without exception, participants were hesitant to speak up at first. But each session ended with a free flow of thoughts and opinions. Local forest staff commented on how valuable the exchange was to them.

The afternoon site visit afforded a chance to hit the slopes and see the resort in operation. The team addressed issues such as signage and boundary management first-hand. In addition, the relaxed comfort of the chairlift encouraged even more openness and sharing of ideas. “What happens on the chairlift stays on the chairlift,” was the general sentiment. Everyone found it helpful to hear all sides of the issues and to have Forest Service leadership answer any questions that arose. Overall, the review was well worth the time and effort.

Following the final site visit, the review team identified several action points, including accident investigations, boundary management, sponsorship recognition, staffing, skills and training. The team produced a joint report that identified issues, findings and recommendations for action. (For example, the group found that there was confusion surrounding the purpose and triggers of an accident investigation. At Weingardt’s recommendation, a small Forest Service group was assembled to create guidelines specifically for third-party accidents. That group’s draft proposal is working its way through the Washington office.)


Next Steps
At an August meeting, Weingardt, ski area managers and Forest Service personnel set up committees to take charge of the action points identified in the review team’s report. The group will meet again in early 2008 to keep the committees moving forward.

Most importantly, the review provided a venue for resorts and the Forest Service to address a range of issues. Not all were resolved. On a key issue for the industry, accident investigations, the only agreement was to keep working. But thanks to the review, both sides are working together.

To make our partnership with the Forest Service succeed, we must often be proactive and willing to take the lead when necessary. And some of you might have the chance sooner rather than later—other regions may adopt our joint review process. If Smokey comes knocking at your door, invite him in for a beer. You could be surprised.