By: Andrew Avitt, Feb. 23, 2023-
Skier at Sierra-at-Tahoe ski resort on the Eldorado National Forest (USDA Forest Service photo by Paul Wade)
Each year winter recreation enthusiasts fan out across the country in search of their winter paradise. They snowboard, ice skate, snowshoe, dog sled and ski. Many choose a nearby national forest for these adventures. It’s the best and obvious option, (though we might be a little biased).
Others might choose to visit a ski resort. But what might not be obvious, about a quarter of ski resorts across the United States are actually also located on national forests (127 of 473 according to a recent count), and make up a third of the visits across the country annually, 23 million of about 60 million visits.
The Forest Service and ski resorts across California have worked together for decades to welcome visitors to enjoy the snow. These visits support surrounding communities through infrastructure, economic resiliency, and the environment by ensuring resort partners care for the land.
Janelle Walker has been with the Forest Service for 22 years and has donned both skis and a snowboard since she was 5 years old. She currently works as the mountain resort program manager for the Pacific Southwest Region, guiding partnerships between the agency and 24 ski resorts across the state. Together they work to best serve visitors and to conserve the environment, to be enjoyed for generations to come.
“Ski resorts are very helpful partners and drive projects forward within the resort, and beyond,” said Walker about work that includes road maintenance, trail building, and fire resiliency projects in national forests and local communities. In all, it’s estimated that partner investments in these projects are worth $5 billion on national forest system lands across the country.
But that support and cooperation doesn’t end with infrastructure.
“Just like the Forest Service, these resorts are trying to create the best experience for visitors, that also means supporting the natural environment and wildlife,” Walker added.
Some resorts partner with the Forest Service to offer programs like Ski with a Ranger, a ski outing where participants learn about conservation (USDA Forest Service photo by Paul Wade)
For example, resorts work with the Forest Service to protect endangered species, such as the whitebark pine. The whitebark pine was recently listed but has been a priority to protect on ski resorts and forests for years.
“Healthy forests make for some stunning views, which is good for visitors, which is good for winter recreation companies and local economies,” said Walker. “It’s an economic opportunity not just for the ski resorts but for local businesses and members in the community.”
All forms of recreation on national forests account for the greatest contribution to the U.S. economy from national forests, ahead of other uses such as mining, timber harvesting, and oil and gas. A visitor’s spending can cause a ripple effect through goods and service in local communities — adding roughly $10.3 billion to the gross domestic product each year. National forest visitors also support about 143,000 full-and part-time jobs, mostly in gateway and rural communities.
When it comes to skiing and other winter recreation activities, about $3.4 billion goes into local spending, $4.5 billion to GDP, and 57,000 full and part-time jobs annually.
A Lifetime of Work, but Mostly Fun
We spoke with Casey Blann, a senior advisor at Palisades Tahoe on his last working day before retirement. He offered his perspective on ski resorts, the Forest Service, caring for the land, and well — fun.
“I was literally born into this industry,” said Blann. His father was a mountain manager on a ski resort, and his first memories were up on the mountain working. “So, I guess my professional experience is about 60 years, but legally speaking, child labor laws and such, it’s about 45 years.”
A snowboarder takes in heavenly views from up on the slopes at Heavenly Mountain Resort (USDA Forest Service photo by Paul Wade)
He’s worked on nine ski resorts in four states, six of which were on national forests. Over the course of his career, he has seen the people arrive always with a smile on their face, in ever-increasing numbers, to enjoy the snow.
“These are the places where people get back with their friends, spend time with family, year after year. They come back to the same trails and slopes they love. You can hear in the air, the ‘yahoooos’ as they’re launching off into the bowls. For many, these mountains are a home away from home. They build a relationship and a passion with these places that last.”
Though winter recreation businesses are booming, it’s still critical “to have the lands best interest at heart,” said Blann.
This collaboration can be seen in how ski resorts work with the Forest Service to manage tree stands. Forests have really been stressed in recent years due to invasive, species, disease and drought, so permittees work with the Forest Service to remove dead and diseased trees — which results in a healthier forest, which attracts more visitors that have more fun. When people are having fun, business is good.
One of Blann’s final achievements before his retirement was the opening of the Base-to-Base Gondola, connecting Palisades Tahoe to neighboring resort Alpine Meadows. The project took several years to complete, with areas operating under a special use permit with the Forest Service. The gondola opened late 2022 and spans 2.4 miles of resort and wilderness, improving connectivity between resorts and reducing traffic congestion in the immediate community. Riders view breathtaking sights of the Tahoe National Forest and Granite Chief Wilderness along the way.
“My dad said it to me a long, long time ago, we need to be the mountains best representative, its greatest environmentalist, because if we aren’t protecting it, who is? When we do this, more often than not, skiers, business and the environment will all benefit — it’s a triple win.”