With decades of forestry and community outreach experience behind him, David Kelly felt he had more to give after retiring as Division Chief for the U.S Forest Service. Now, he's the Forest Specialist for the Arrowhead Lake Association (ALA), where his experience with the San Bernardino National Forest can be implemented at a smaller scale. “The first thing I said to [ALA] was, what's your forest management plan?” Kelly remarks.

Looking back, Kelly explains that the concept of forest management was not always celebrated in the Lake Arrowhead community. Years ago, homeowner's...