Ski Area Vegetation and Wildlife Management

At many ski areas, forested landscapes have received little to no active or intentional management for approximately 50 to 100 years, largely due to historic fire suppression, operational constraints, and regulatory complexity. This prolonged absence of management has contributed to overstocked stand conditions, elevated insect and disease impacts, increased fuel loads, and declining scenic and recreational quality. [1] To protect ski resort guests, employees, community members, and infrastructure; SE Group is working to integrate forest health and wildfire mitigation strategies with ski area planning and management. Forest management services that provide insight into forest conditions, can not only assist ski area managers in implementing development plans, but can also enhance snow quality, improve recreation experience, and protect critical assets.

SE Group’s process begins with documenting current forest conditions through forest inventory and analysis, which provides the foundation for informed planning and the protection of key forest values such as scenery, snow conditions, and ecological benefits that define the mountain resort experience. These findings are then incorporated into detailed planning efforts that balance forest health, wildfire resilience, and recreation needs, allowing ski area managers to align operational decisions and long-term development plans with on-the-ground forest conditions. Identifying commonalities between forest management objectives and proactive ski area planning can help resort operators strengthen their relationships with public land managers and local partners; further expanding their capacity to initiate future projects within their operational boundaries.

By integrating field data collection, inventory and analysis, vegetation simulation, and wildfire modeling, SE Group can generate and host detailed forestry datasets that help streamline the early stages of project permitting. Additionally, maintaining this data can enable ski areas to accelerate proactive vegetation management efforts, thereby improving forest health and wildfire resilience, enhancing safety, and potentially lowering insurance rates. [2] Active forest management can also increase a forest’s ability to withstand disturbance from forest pathogens such as insects and disease, and extreme weather events such as floods, droughts, and ice and windstorms. Furthermore, managing a forest to encourage widely spaced large-diameter trees (a healthy forest by Forest Service standards) [3], demonstrates a resort’s commitment to upholding environmental responsibilities, and simultaneously achieving recreational benefits: open forests for glade skiing, increased snow retention, and lasting snowpacks.

Infrastructure Protection and Risk Reduction

Forest health and fuels projects give ski area managers something priceless: reduced wildfire risk to lifts, lodges, utilities, and the wildland urban interface (WUI) communities they serve. Strategic thinning, fuel breaks, patch cuts, and prescribed fire, help prevent high-severity wildfire and protect operational corridors. These strategies can also safeguard access routes for emergency response, further improving safety precautions. Over time, overstocked/dense forest conditions result in understory suppression and competition for resources, which leads to a decline in forest health. Dense forests are also more susceptible to damage from insects and disease, resulting in standing dead timber, creating hazardous conditions for recreation. Treatments that remove dead or drought-stressed trees reduce hazard-tree failures on roads, trails, and lift corridors, minimizing operational downtime and liability. A reduction in surface fuels can also result in a safer skiing experience, as it limits obstacles that may be present beneath the snow’s surface. At many western ski resorts, these efforts have even helped maintain insurability at a time when companies are reevaluating coverage in high-risk landscapes.[4] In short, proactive management leads to a more resilient forest, resulting in less time spent mitigating hazards on the mountain and increased protection for both the forest and the business. 

Enhanced Guest Experience and Functionality

Well-designed forest health work directly improves the on-mountain skiing and riding experience. Thinning dense, dead, or visually unappealing timber opens scenic views, brightens glades, and creates cleaner, safer ski runs. Tree “islands” and pockets of retained timber, often preserved between runs, enhance ecological diversity and values for wildlife habitat. Furthermore, tree islands also provide guests with windbreaks, improved snow deposition, and shade that slows snowmelt. These features improve snow quality, extend seasonal operations, and reinforce the mountainous character that guests expect. Recent science has also indicated that healthy forests retain snow for longer, which contributes to environmental resilience and dependable ski conditions, mutually benefitting operations and guest satisfaction.

Public Engagement, Partnerships, and Funding

Forest management projects often serve as a platform for building trust, credibility, and a shared purpose with local communities. By being visible and organized leaders in forest stewardship, ski resorts can secure grants, stimulate partner support, and demonstrate alignment with regional priorities. This is especially important in areas where communities view wildfire preparedness as a shared responsibility. Collaboration with agencies such as the Forest Service, fire districts, and local nonprofits has demonstrated success in securing funding opportunities and enabled resorts to scale their efforts beyond what internal budgets can cover. Strong public engagement also helps counter misinformation, reduce opposition, and create educational opportunities for guests and staff. Lasting partnerships can also offload some of the organizational responsibilities involved in forest management, therefore allowing ski area managers to focus on resort operations and on-mountain improvements.

Fuel-reduction work also strengthens a ski area’s identity as a responsible land steward and long-term operator, values that strengthen recognition among regulators, stakeholders, and visitors. By investing in forest health now, resorts reduce future restoration costs, avoid setbacks, and maintain continuity in planning and capital investment. Managers who lead these projects help shape a positive regional narrative: that healthy forests, safe communities, and thriving recreation economies are common goals.

Under a U.S. Forest Service Special Use Permit, ski area operators are required to address vegetation management in their operating plan to demonstrate how forest conditions will be managed to support safe operations, infrastructure protection, and compliance with applicable land management plans. [5] This typically includes identifying areas where tree removal, pruning, thinning, or fuels reduction are necessary to maintain lift corridors, ski runs, access roads, and snowmaking infrastructure. While not always mandatory, the Forest Service strongly encourages permit holders to develop a standalone Vegetation Management Plan that provides greater detail, establishes long-term management objectives, and streamlines future approvals for routine forest health and fuels work. Having a clear vegetation management framework improves coordination with agency specialists, reduces permitting delays, and helps ensure that operational needs, forest health goals, and wildfire risk reduction are addressed in an integrated and defensible manner. As part of this strategy, SE Group will work with ski area managers to identify regionally practical slash management options, including marketing merchantable timber, fuelwood utilization or donation programs (e.g., Wood for Life), and on-site treatment methods such as mastication, air curtain incineration, and biochar production. 

SE Group will develop and produce the vegetation management plan from start to finish, using the following industry approved techniques:

Stand Delineation

Forest stands are delineated through a manual interpretation process that incorporates multiple geospatial data layers, including forest type[6], tree height, canopy cover, and watershed boundaries.[7] Using ArcGIS, forest stands, sometimes referred to as treatment units, can be delineated by drawing polygons around contiguous forested regions that are relatively uniform in terms of forest type, structure, and age class.[8] Because ski resort permit areas often consist of developed or mixed-use landscapes, we typically restrict forest stands at ski resorts to smaller sizes, generally not exceeding 50 acres. Delineating small stands enables us to work with the landscape, prioritizing ski area infrastructure and terrain improvements, while preserving mature trees in islands between ski runs. 

Our stand delineation process also focuses on identifying contiguous patches of forest, such as tree islands, and groups these stands based on long-term planning goals. Ski area management and master planning initiatives typically separate a property boundary into terrain pods based on ability levels and accessibility from certain chairlifts. Because master planning guides future use at a ski resort, we work with the manager to prioritize recreation areas, as opposed to locations set aside for preserving scenic integrity and values that don’t include development. This process determines management intentions and divides the landscape to promote a cohesive strategy that considers both forestry and recreation values on a landscape scale.

For ski areas operating under a federal land lease, all delineated forest stands would be subject to review by agency silviculturists to ensure alignment with regional management standards.[9] In this case, we would conduct a thorough review of the agency’s governing land management plan and align ski area planning goals with resource-specific guidance. For example, a ski area operating in the Pacific Northwest may fall within the jurisdiction of the Northwest Forest Plan, requiring a thorough review of old growth. In this case, stand delineation would be the first step used to identify old growth and strategize an approach that maintains regulatory compliance.

Forest Inventory and Analysis

The primary objective of forest inventory and analysis is to take the information gathered during the stand delineation process a step further. The process begins with delineated forest stands, as previously described, and implements a statistically sound sampling framework to distribute sample plots throughout each forest stand. A forest inventory is conducted using a stand-based approach designed to characterize forest health, fuel conditions, species composition, and the presence of sensitive or structurally important forest types (I.e. old growth). Specifically, forest inventories typically capture information on tree species, diameter, height, regeneration, canopy position, and the presence of damage/disease. To complement tree-level data, downed woody fuel loads are measured using planar transects to quantify the volume of surface fuels (in a range of size classes) at each sample plot. Forest inventory data can be particularly helpful for quantifying fuel loads, identifying forest health concerns, and calculating volumes of standing timber (both live and dead), thereby informing management strategies. Having this information in hand assists in planning future improvements and provides justification for developing or preserving certain areas within a ski resort’s operational boundary. 

Forest inventory data is typically analyzed using systems such as the Forest Service’s FSVeg and Forest Vegetation Simulator. These products are used to evaluate stand structure, fuel characteristics, and succession trajectories. This level of forest analysis enables ski area managers to identify locations (within stands) that would be suitable for certain project design elements. When coupled with spatially explicit natural resource data, planning objectives can often lead to secondary benefits, such as reduced fire hazard surrounding valuable infrastructure, improved forest health through forest thinning, and increased safety associated with the removal of hazardous trees. Furthermore, documenting forest conditions can provide validation for priority ski area projects such as glading and terrain improvements. Forest inventory and analysis can also streamline the steps required to obtain a timber permit, which typically necessitates volume metrics and timber valuation estimates. Additionally, analysis can identify areas that require targeted treatment, such as thinning, fuel reduction, salvage, or old-growth protection, and ensure that development planning and recreation improvements avoid or mitigate impacts to sensitive resources. 

Modeling WIldfire Hazard with Flammap 

FlamMap adds an essential layer of insight to the stand delineation and forest inventory process by modeling how fire is likely to behave across a ski area’s landscape under consistent environmental conditions.[10]  Using spatial inputs such as fuels, topography, and canopy structure (data obtained during the inventory process), FlamMap produces maps of flame length, rate of spread, crown fire activity, and potential fire intensity. These outputs help ski area managers visualize where fire could threaten lifts, lodges, snowmaking infrastructure, access roads, and terrain pods. By working in the present tense and showing how fire behaves today rather than predicting a specific future event, FlamMap guides ski area managers toward practical, risk-reducing decisions. It identifies where fuel breaks are most effective, where retaining tree islands supports both ecological and operational goals, and where thinning or surface fuel reduction can meaningfully lower hazard near high-value assets.

Beyond hazard identification, FlamMap provides ski areas with a defensible, data-driven tool to justify treatment priorities during planning and permitting. Modeled fire behavior maps can demonstrate how proposed glading, selective thinning, or canopy retention not only support recreation improvements but also reduce fire intensity and protect infrastructure. This alignment of recreation objectives with forest health outcomes is especially valuable when collaborating with federal partners, local fire districts, or funding agencies. For a ski area manager, FlamMap becomes a strategic planning asset, it helps optimize limited budgets and communicate risk clearly to stakeholders. It also helps design vegetation projects that enhance resilience, maintain safe operations, and protect the guest experience in an era of increasing wildfire pressure.

Solitude Mountain Resort (Utah) – Timber Permitting

During implementation of the Solitude Mountain Resort Glading Project Categorical Exclusion, SE Group supported Uinta-Wasatch-Cache National Forest requirements for timber permitting by conducting a focused timber cruise of trees marked for removal. Inventory results documented that nearly all material to be removed fell below the 8-inch diameter threshold and consisted primarily of hazard trees and subalpine fir affected by balsam woolly adelgid. This analysis saved both the agency and resort time and cost associated with contracting a private forestry consultant and allowed the proper issuance of project design criteria ensuring there was no transport of the invasive forest pest.

Willamette Pass Ski Resort (Oregon) – Old Growth Compliance

At Willamette Pass Resort, SE Group conducted a comprehensive old-growth inventory and analysis to support early planning for projects included in the resort’s Master Development Plan. Compliance with Willamette National Forest and Northwest Forest Plan standards required a two-year survey protocol for lichens and terrestrial mollusks in areas classified as old growth. Because the presence of old-growth at the resort was unknown, SE Group conducted forest inventory and analysis to determine which portions of the project area met the Pacific Northwest Region old-growth definitions using stand delineation, plot data, and Forest Vegetation Simulator outputs. In coordination with Middle Fork Ranger District, these determinations allowed SE Group to categorize project components strategically, enabling portions of the project area to proceed under a one-year resource survey protocol and reducing both planning timelines and regulatory uncertainty. 

Big Bear Mountain Resort (California) – Old Growth Analysis and Wildfire Resilience

SE Group supported the Big Bear Mountain Resort Master Development Projects Environmental Assessment through comprehensive resource analysis and NEPA process management. Forestry-specific components of this project included old-growth compliance, wildfire assessment, and forest habitat impact analysis (including measures to offset potential effects to the California spotted owl). The resource analysis also identified that proposed improvements, particularly expanded snowmaking capacity and coverage, would reduce wildfire risk by increasing suppression capability and resilience within the wildland–urban interface. These proposed improvements would position Big Bear not only as a recreation destination, but as a proactive steward whose infrastructure investments support broader forest and community protection goals.

Sun Valley (Idaho) 

The Bald Mountain Stewardship Project at Sun Valley addresses roughly 70 to 100 years of limited active forest management, which had led to dense stands, elevated fuel loads, and increasing risk to lifts, lodges, and snowmaking infrastructure. The project implements selective thinning, hazard-tree removal, and strategic fuels reduction while preserving tree islands and scenic screening that are central to the skier experience. Treatments were intentionally designed around lift pods and terrain use, demonstrating how forest health work can support both operations and recreation. What sets Sun Valley apart is its NEPA-approved, stewardship-based framework, which establishes a long-term, adaptive approach rather than a one-time fuels project. For ski area managers, Bald Mountain serves as a clear example of integrating wildfire resilience, forest health, and master planning into a single, defensible strategy.

Taos Ski Valley (New Mexico)

Taos Ski Valley stands out for its long-term, self-funded commitment to fuels treatment, with more than 600 acres treated between 2018 and 2023 using the resort’s own operating budget. This level of internal investment is rare in the ski industry and has given Taos full control over project timing and scope. What’s most impressive is how the resort has used its independence to move quickly and consistently, coordinating with the Carson National Forest and the Village of Taos to implement mastication, chipping, lop-and-pile, and selective harvesting. Taos frames the work not as an economic return but as an investment in watershed protection, slope stability, and long-term insurability, a compelling perspective for managers facing rising wildfire-related insurance pressure.

Winter Park Resort (Colorado)

Winter Park offers a strong example of sustained, grant-funded forest health work. Over five consecutive years, the resort secured Community Forest and Watershed Restoration Grants through the Colorado State Forest Service, funding a vegetation-management program that has continued for more than 16 years. The impressive part here is the consistency: Winter Park leveraged these grants, along with federal ARRA funding, to treat more acres, increase the pace of work, and significantly offset project costs (sometimes covering up to 75% of annual expenses with external support). This long-term, grant-driven model shows how stable partnerships and strategic applications can build a multi-decade fuels-reduction program that improves snow retention, protects lifts and lodges, and reinforces the resort’s role in watershed health.

Sugar Bowl Resort (California)

Sugar Bowl demonstrates how nimble partnerships can dramatically expand a ski area’s capacity for forest management. The resort began with a small, independently funded 64-acre fuels project, then leveraged the Truckee Fire Protection District’s Community Wildfire Prevention Grant to grow the project area by 50% to 96 acres. What makes Sugar Bowl’s case especially notable is how quickly momentum snowballed: the resort partnered with the Sugar Bowl Academy to co-fund work on adjacent lands in 2022, then secured additional grants to initiate a 183-acre project scheduled for 2024. Sugar Bowl’s success illustrates how local collaboration can overcome timeline challenges, maintain community support, and elevate a resort’s position as a regional leader in forest health.

1. Brinton, K., & Smith, A. (2023). Getting to the root of forest management. Ski Area Management Magazine. SE Group. https://segroup.com/sites/default/files/2024-03/SAM_2023_May_Getting-to-the-Root-of-Forest-Management-Smith.pdf
2. Environmental Systems Research Institute. 2024. Extract the tree canopy height from a lidar dataset in ArcGIS Pro. ArcGIS Pro V 3.1. Retrieved from: https://support.esri.com/en-us/knowledge-base/how-to-extract-the-tree-canopy-height-from-a-lidar-data-000030802
3. Finney, Mark A. 2006. An Overview of FlamMap Fire Modeling Capabilities. In: Andrews, Patricia L.; Butler, Bret W., comps. 2006. Fuels Management-How to Measure Success: Conference Proceedings. 28-30 March 2006; Portland, OR. Proceedings RMRS-P-41. Fort Collins, CO: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Rocky Mountain Research Station. p. 213-220
4. Gatziolis, Demetrios; Andersen, Hans-Erik. 2008. A guide to LIDAR data acquisition and processing for the forests of the Pacific Northwest. Gen. Tech. Rep. PNW-GTR-768. Portland, OR: U.S. Department of Agriculture, Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station. 32 p Guilford, L. (2024). Wildfires threaten several California and Nevada ski areas. Snow Brains. https://snowbrains.com/wildfires-threaten-several-california-and-nevada-ski-areas/
5. Jacobson, M. (2021). Tahoe ski resorts fire up snow guns to save structures, lifts. Tahoe Daily Tribune.
6. Van Deursen, J., Brinton, K., & Smith, A.  (2024). Funding the fight against wildfires. Ski Area Management Magazine, September 2024.
7. Lorelli, M. (2025). Fighting wildfire with 1 million gallons of water per day—Tamarack Resort isn’t backing down. Powder Magazine. https://www.powder.com/news/tamarack-rock-fire-snowmaking
8. Ruckriegle, H., & Mercer, L. (2020). Managing hotspots in wildfire risk at public lands ski areas. Rocky Mountain Law Foundation Journal, 57, 1–32.
9. Sierra at Tahoe. (2019). Wildfire prevention plan. https://www.saminfo.com/images/pdfs/Wildfireplan19.pdf
10. Stevens, J. T., Haffey, C. M., Coop, J. D., Fornwalt, P. J., Yocom, L., Allen, C. D., … Walker, J. J. (2021). Tamm Review: Postfire landscape management in frequent-fire conifer forests of the southwestern United States. Forest Ecology and Management, 502, 119678. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.foreco.2021.119678
11. Teich, M., Becker, K. M., Raleigh, M. S., & Lutz, J. A. (2022). Large-diameter trees affect snow duration in post-fire old-growth forests. Ecohydrology, 15(3), e2414. https://doi.org/10.1002/eco.2414
12. USDA Forest Service. (2020). Ski Area Term Special Use Permit: National Forest Ski Area Permit Act of 1986, 16 U.S.C. 497b. Available at: https://www.fs.usda.gov/specialuses/documents/FS-2700-5b%20092020Final-RE.pdf