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Pacific Northwest: Problem Not Mother Nature... It's Uncle Sam
By
July 11, 2005
The Pacific Northwest will recover from one of the worst drought winters in its history, but can it continually recover from obstacles placed by the federal government's cumbersome system in giving thumbs-up for improvements?
That's the question raised by Scott Kaden, president of the Pacific Northwest Ski Areas Association (PNSAA). This nonprofit trade organization is made up of 22 mostly day-skier resorts in the four-state region of Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, and Washington.
Because most of the members are not dependent on destination visitors, Kaden told The Industry Report, "our operators can't be anything less than optimistic about our future" for 2005-6, provided there's adequate snowfall.
But, he said, the problem facing these areas is not Mother Nature, it's Uncle Sam.
"Our landlord is the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Forest Service and they control development," since most ski and snowboard slopes are on federal land, he explained. The Pacific Northwest Forest Service region "has not been willing to OK the type of development you see in Utah, Colorado, and to some extent California," he said.
"Our approvals are measured in decades and cost in the millions. The length and the cost of these approval processes have really been shackling this process," Kaden declared.
The process the Forest Service uses is long and arduous, at least one local official says, but he places some of the responsibility on local environmentalists.
"With anything we do, there's more scrutiny, and more opposition, whether it's ski areas, timber, power lines, whatever. It's a greener part of the country," said Doug Jones, a Forest Service permit specialist.
Mike Heilman, the Forest Service's regional winter sports specialist, disputed the idea of areas being "shackled." The Forest Service does have a "certain protocol," he said, but even small areas such as Anthony Lakes, 49 Degrees North, and Hoodoo were able to negotiate it successfully with "a minimum of appeals or controversy."
Kaden, who is upbeat about the immediate future of his region's resorts, monitors legislative, regulatory, and legal issues that relate to ski area operations. He also takes part in ski area facility master planning and related environmental review processes, and oversees industry relationships with Forest Service staff.
"Ski area operators appreciate the importance of bouncing back and presenting their product," he said. "We will be out there talking with the marketplace at major ski shows in places like Seattle this fall."
The Pacific Northwest season actually ended on a high note, with several areas reopening in March, when the storms finally came. "The industry is eagerly looking forward to a fresh start," he said, pointing out that Mission Ridge in Washington, for example, is upgrading facilities with a new detatchable quad lift that will replace an old double chair.
"That's an aggressive bold move," noted Kaden. "Imagine what that says to the staff" - and to local skiers - "right out of the gate after such a challenging year." This past winter, he said, Mission Ridge did only 23,000 skier days but averages 84,000 skier days.
Mission Ridge is also farther along than many areas in a quest to get Forest Service approval for expanded snowmaking on their premium higher slopes, said Kaden.
Like Mission Ridge and other Pacific Northwest resorts, said Kaden, Mt. Hood Meadows does not seek permission for extensive snowmaking. Historically, they have always received good snow.
But Mt. Hood Meadows is asking the Forest Service for additional spot snowmaking coverage on critical connector points to its upper mountain, and getting approval is tough. "We're working with the Forest Service to implement the project as soon as possible," said Dave Riley, Mt. Hood Meadows' general manager for the Oregon area. "It's complicated. We're confident. The Forest Service has been quite helpful, but they're saddled with a complicated process."
Jones, the permit specialist who is responsible for Mt. Hood National Forest agreed. What the ski area wants is "not that big of a deal," but the Forest Service must assure itself and the public that "what's proposed is environmentally benign." Then, even if the Forest Service approves the Mt. Hood Meadows plans, there are likely to be appeals from a coalition of local groups "that would like to see Mt. Hood Meadows go away." Even if appeals are rejected, he said, opponents can always take the issue to court. He said the chances of this one relatively small project being allowed to proceed are only 50/50.
What's more, Jones said, Kaden is correct "to a degree." Jones said any "major development does cost a lot of money and a lot of analysis."
Is the Pacific Northwest region of the Forest Service more difficult? Jones replied, "the Pacific Northwest has more scrutiny by environmentalists than anywhere else, for sure."
Kaden emphasized that the Pacific Northwest is different from some regions, in that it is "rubber-tire dependent" and is made up mainly of mom-and-pop outfits. "They can't behave like an Intrawest or a Vail Resorts or a Booth Creek. We're more similar to the Midwest," he said.
Nevertheless, the resorts have shown "a tremendous amount of resiliency," he said. Its slopes are adorned with plenty of natural snow nine out of 10 years. "2001-2002 was our best winter ever for Washington and Oregon. They had never set all-time records in the same year," Kaden said.
He touted the 22 areas as affordable and attuned to the idea of turning new skiers and riders into regular visitors. "I think we've got demographics in our favor - sheer regional population growth and early retirees. Our ski areas are accessible day and night. We're seeing echo-boomers coming of age and picking up snow sports in large numbers.
"We're younger, we're growing. This is totally anecdotal, but as we have this in-migration and people look to assimilate, they look to be outdoorsy," he said.
Pacific Northwest ski and snowboard areas don't need much artificial snow in typical years. Indeed, even this year, there is skiing through August at Timberline Lodge in Oregon. Kaden concluded: "We just hope we get our normal jet stream back."
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