1987-12-01_PERMIT FILE - C1981017 (300)

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U.S. Forest S ert ki - - - Retiring Ex By CHARLIE MEYERS Forest Service, he has worked in range - "We have a no-decision situation. Denver Post Ski Editor surveys in north-central Montana, as 'a Everyone is raising different colorer Paul Hank is retiring. ranger in Rocky Mountain National Park, flags. No one can make a move. There The news will cause little stir among as a "flying cadet" in the Army Air has to be a balance. We must provide the many who never heard of this man Corps, for the U.S. Army Corps of Engi- more skiing opportunity just as we must who spent two-thirds of his 60 years in fed- neers in Kansas, for the coast and geode- provide more wilderness." eral service—mostly with the U.S. Forest tic survey in San Francisco, for the Soil If the ski-lift mill isn't activated soon, 'Service in Colorado. Conservation Service in west Texas and Hank foresees a widespread limiting o: What they fail to realize is that in the as a merchant seaman on a gasoline ticket sales, of reserved skiing. course of his work in ski-area feasibility tanker in the Pacific during _World War "Skiing on the public lands must be and permit studies, Hank probably has u available to everyone equally—whether exerted more influence over the Colorado Now he is Ieaving an influential post he lives in- Denver or Chicago," Haul; ski industry than any other man. . years before mandatory retirement be- said. "And the day skier must-have the This sway goes. even further. His of- cause, as he puts it, "there's so much red same opportunity to get a ticket as the ficial title is _supervisory forester in tape anymore, I just can't get-anything tourist who reserves a block manz charge of land and recreation uses, wa- done." months in advance. tershed and minerals management on the The statement is vintage Hauk—direct, "This is the area where the big hassles White River National Forest in Glenwood biting, accurate. Hawk's business is iden- will develop, and the Forest Service wil] Springs. tifying and supervising ski-site develop- be forced to serve as referee." Not incidentally. the White River ranks ment to keep pace with the fast-growing Hank believes that changing attitudes high among the nation's forests in skier demands for uphill transportation. And influenced chiefly by recreation-mirdeci use-. Aspen,.Vail. The big ones are there. within the past few years, bureaucratic young people is the best hope for And whenever there were big decisions and environmental tangles have become stimulating ski-area growth and reversing to be made anywhere in ski country, the so dense as to virtually close up the shop. present trends. Forest Service sent for Paul Hank. Hank feels some of the new restrictions But all this will happen without the AVALANCHE CONTROL for the 1960 _and scrutiny on winter-sports develop- man who has done so-much to get us this Squaw Valley Olympics. Site selection for ment were in order. far, -the Denver OIympic Organizing Commit- "THERE WERE A LOT of problems "The time has come for me to stet tee. Preparation of more than 50 ski-area relating to base-area development being -down and let the young bucks take over feasibility reports in Colorado, New Mex- dumped on the county and state and the from here,"Hank said with just a hint oi ico and Arizona. antidevelopment movement had to come. remorse in that steely voice. "I've - $ $h But now things have gone too far. worked Inn enough." -_ _ It is very likely that Paul Hank has ex- - " - ercised more leverage over the direction of skiing on public lands than any other Forest Service official. 1. Whenever there was a ski decision to .be made, Hawk's smoke-gray crewcut always was among the group with heads and voices lowered in consultation. It is no accident that by almost any cri- teria—topography, design or operation— Colorado ski areas are recognized 'as the industry leaders. Born and reared in Denver, he graduat- ed from Colorado State University in 1937 and had begun skiing even earlier. In addition to his career with the