Left and above: To update and expand an old terrarin pod, Trollhaugen, Wis., added several new trails with snowmak- ing and replaced a rope tow with a quad chair.
Heading to the bank with quan- titative data and breakdowns about anticipated revenue, visitation, and depreciation can make all the difference. Talking with owners, employees, and members of the community often helps shape these predictions. “It starts with an idea, and then the concept comes together,” says Smith. “What else can I do with [putting] the lift up there? I can expand my night skiing. I can get more race programming in. I can put more competition programming in.” This all equates to potential revenue you can take to the bank, so to speak. PERMITTING Both acquiring funding and permits are tricky, time-consuming processes. Under- standing the permitting process timeline is almost a prerequisite to obtaining a loan if an operator wants the project to proceed as quickly as possible, according to Smith. Otherwise, it’s possible to get caught up waiting for the lengthy per- mitting process to unfold. “Permitting can take many years,”
says Smith. “At the same time, establish- ing the financial ability to do a project can take as long, if not longer. So, you get into a bit of a chicken and egg scenario.” That’s one reason Waterville Val- ley’s team approached the Forest Service before even inquiring about a loan. Community outreach. Permitting is a complicated subject. It varies by state and county, and depends on land ownership and local environmental concerns. During Mt. Shasta Ski Park’s recent expansion, several tweaks to its plans, including lowering a lift termi- nal to minimize light pollution beyond a ridge, were required to obtain permits. The team at the Northern California ski area also had regular meetings with the
county planning commission leading up to the project to mitigate concerns about public pushback. “[The county supervisors] thought for sure that environmentalists would come out and protest and stop it,” says Mt. Shasta Ski Park general manager Jim Mullins. “They were concerned about the [Indigenous communities] and regional ecology center.” Much of this concern was
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