NEW YORK—A visit from a local veteran last summer inspired a strong effort on the Finger Lakes National Forest to get Forest Service staff to veteran-focused events and to get veterans to their national forests.

Last summer, a local veteran stopped into the Hector Ranger Station on the Finger Lakes National Forest. Referred to the station by the Schuyler Country Veterans Affairs Office, he was looking for information about the Military Lifetime “America the Beautiful” passes. These lifetime passes cover standard entrance fees to Forest Service, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, National Park Service, Bureau of Land Management, Bureau of Reclamation, and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers sites.

It was not news to employees that this visitor had not known there was a national forest in New York, or that many veterans do not know about “America the Beautiful” passes, which they can receive for free.

“Finger Lakes National Forest is a small forest. Many people do not even know we’re here,” said David Wagner, support services specialist. “The veteran’s lifetime pass allows veterans free access to federal lands; it’s a benefit they have more than earned through their service. Even though it is promoted by various organizations, it doesn’t seem to be well known among the veteran population.”

It was the visitor’s suggestion that the forest attend the Elmira Stand Down event that really sparked change. The Elmira Stand Down event, hosted by Veterans Affairs, is a gathering of organizations offering support and resources to the veteran community. Wagner reached out to event coordinators immediately. “We coordinated with the Veterans Affairs Office to attend, and they were thrilled to have us.”

It’s common for forest personnel to attend community events throughout the year, and to bring military “America the Beautiful” passes. But attending a veteran-specific event like this one was different. Three employees attended the event—one to issue passes, one to talk employment opportunities, and one to share recreation opportunities. The demand for passes was huge.

“We issued well over 100 passes in just a few hours. All three people were issuing passes at one point,” said Wagner. “I talked so much I lost my voice!”

This year, Wagner started contacting Veteran’s Services offices and other service agencies in neighboring counties offering the forest’s services to issue passes and talk about national forests. Many organizations have either invited the forest to an event they already scheduled or created an event geared toward highlighting the Forest Service. So far this season, staff have been to seven veteran-specific events and given out over 200 military lifetime passes, as well as over 200 Access passes.

Although the forest has always promoted and given out military passes, Wagner says thinking of the agency as a veteran resource and being included in very targeted events has really changed the connection with the community for the better.

“Attending these events has been rewarding,” said Wagner. “Not just giving out the passes; we’ve met a lot of people, made new connections, helped where we could and, hopefully, got more people in the forest.”