Death by 1,000 bureaucratic cuts at Eaglecrest

Skiers ride the Ptarmigan and Hooter chairlifts at Eaglecrest Ski Area on Saturday, Jan. 17, 2026. (Mark Sabbatini / Juneau Independent)

By Deborah Craig

Eaglecrest is the crown jewel of our recreational facilities. Whether you ski or not, everyone knows someone who met their future spouse, taught their kids to ski, watched their teens ski race, hiked the ridge for the 360-degree view or enjoyed their retirement at Eaglecrest. Our local ski area was created and still treasured by those with a love of lifelong, healthy winter activities.

Just a few ago, Eaglecrest served 10% of Juneau’s population, had the best cost recovery rate of all of CBJ-funded recreational facilities (pools, field house, skate rink, etc), and successfully kept skiers skiing. Despite persistent pleas over time, CBJ failed to adequately fund ski area infrastructure maintenance and improvements, leaving Eaglecrest in crisis.

All of Juneau’s recreational facilities occasionally need large funding injections for improvements (Marine Park Rebuild $9.8M, Augustus Brown Pool renovation $8M, city parks improvements $6.6M, etc.), as well as ongoing operations (FY26: aquatic $3M, parks and landscape $3.4M, ice rink almost $1M, etc.). The question is whether there’s been an equitable distribution of funds across recreational facilities and are all recreational facilities held to the same standard?

CBJ insistence that Eaglecrest be financially self-sufficient is unreasonable. Eaglecrest is a major recruitment and retention mechanism for a young workforce, has a passionate following and CBJ places no self-sufficiency requirement on any other CBJ recreational facility.

Two years ago, the CBJ manager’s office began Eaglecrest interventions resulting in a cascade of decisions that further impaired Eaglecrest’s survival probability: cumbersome human resources requirements, procurement debacles, and attempts to provide direction to a new general manager (GM) Craig Cimmons — despite CBJ personnel’s lack of ski area operations expertise. Upon his exit, the recent GM who oversaw a series of infrastructure disasters, acknowledged he’d been taking some of his direction from the CBJ city manager’s office instead of the empowered Eaglecrest board.

The mismanagement of the gondola project after the coerced resignation of former GM Dave Scanlan is another editorial entirely. The gondola project was interrupted from starting on time — which would have avoided tariffs and additional expenses, and followed a plan several entities stated could be successful (Goldbelt, CBJ consultants Duncan and Dahl). Instead, Juneau taxpayers got stuck with a large bill.

The municipality can successfully own a ski area, but it has to fund it and get out of its own way. Eaglecrest is a case study in how the injection of bureaucracy impaired capacity for success. In the last two years, layers of human resources, accounting and procurement red tape hampered basic ski area operations. Skilled volunteers were repeatedly rebuffed despite a long history of helping. Skull and crossbones warning signs emerged on the mountain and alarming media posts created an atmosphere of fear instead of promoting outdoor safety — leaving Eaglecrest feeling less like a local beloved ski area and more like a lawyer prepping for litigation.  

Eaglecrest is just one example of why the CBJ manager’s office and the Assembly have been reproached for being tone deaf to year-round residents with regard to tourism, recreation and housing. And the purpose in retelling this story is a cautionary tale. Juneau — and Eaglecrest — were built on innovation and a get-it-done sense of community, not ineffective bureaucracy and fear-based decision-making.

Our amazing little town still attracts young and old, blue- and white-collar workers, adventurers and people seeking proximity to nature. But Juneau seems to be losing the sense of community and togetherness that kept many of us here for decades despite the rain or the lack of housing.

Government’s role is to serve the people, be responsive and inclusive. Juneau’s unique sense of community comes from this very concept – we live here and want to contribute, not be controlled. We want to be a part of the solution, not treated as a problem. We are willing to put our time, energy and hearts into ensuring our community thrives.

Eaglecrest is at a crossroads and simply needs more funding and less bureaucracy to effectively move forward.  We need a GM with strong ski area operations expertise, good communication skills and a willingness to work with the ski community whose support is necessary. The newly appointed Eaglecrest general manager has a big job ahead. Hopefully the lessons of the recent past will be considered and she will have the latitude to operate nimbly and efficiently.

There are no easy answers as Eaglecrest’s plight has been reduced to a previously unimaginable level. But if Eaglecrest is a micro example of what makes Juneau so unique and beloved, its potential demise — death by 1,000 bureaucratic cuts — will say much about Juneau’s future.

• Deborah Craig has lived in Juneau since 1982, and is an avid hiker, skier and volunteer.