FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Media Contact:
Jennifer Rudolph
303.866.9712
Jennifer@ColoradoSki.com
COLORADO SKI COUNTRY USA'S 2008-09 GREEN INITIATIVES BOOST
ENVIRONMENTAL STEWARDSHIP
Resorts Harness Power of Wind, Water and
Sun,
Enhance Recycling
Denver, Colo. - Winter, 2008-09 - The
environment, by nature, is the business of Colorado Ski Country USA
(CSCUSA). With a combined 28,276 acres of skiable Rocky Mountain
terrain, CSCUSA member resorts continue to stay on top of their
greatest asset by implementing and improving programs that focus on
renewable energy, waste reduction, alternative transportation and
environmental partnerships.
More than one third of CSCUSA member resorts offset 100 percent of
their energy use through the purchase of renewable energy credits
(RECs) and more than half of CSCUSA resorts offset some portion of
their energy use through RECs. According to EPA estimates, these
combined initiatives translate into approximately 3,607.4 metric
tons of carbon dioxide being offset per year, or the equivalent of
offsetting 319 average single family homes a year or, 92, 497 tree
seedlings grown for 10 years.
The CSCUSA member resorts that are leading the way down this
greener path include Arapahoe Basin, Copper Mountain, Crested Butte
and Wolf Creek, all of which offset 100 percent of their energy
use. Additional resorts such as Powderhorn, Steamboat, Telluride,
Winter Park, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk and
Snowmass offset a portion of their operational energy use.
Colorado Ski Country USA member resorts combined have more than a
dozen industry recognitions and awards for outstanding
environmental leadership. All 22 CSCUSA member resorts recycle and
each is doing its part as an environmental steward to implement
programs that reduce and offset energy use and help to keep
Colorado's natural beauty unchanged for generations to come.
Arapahoe Basin
For the 2008-09 season, Arapahoe Basin is taking great strides
toward environmental sustainability. Arapahoe Basin is one of
several CSCUSA member resorts that offset 100 percent of their
electrical use (both on mountain and off) through RECs. They are
the first smaller ski area to do this.
Recycling is another area where A-Basin excels. The new deck at
Black Mountain Lodge is being built with recycled products, and
along with placing recycling bins next to every trash can, A-Basin
administration offices use vermacomposting bins. Staff are
encouraged to compost any unwanted food scraps and after harvesting
the worms, the vermacompost (worm manure) is then given away to
staff for use in their gardens. Arapahoe Basin also sends their
kitchen oils and grease away to be recycled, along with cardboard,
bottles and paper waste.
A-Basin uses an airless snowmaking system that requires
substantially less electricity than standard equipment.
A-Basin is also paving the way in encouraging alternative public
transportation. The Summit Stage bus runs from Breckenridge to
Arapahoe Basin, stopping at multiple locations in-between. During
the 2007-08 season, A-Basin saw a 50 percent increase in bus
passengers. The Summit Stage reports that riding the bus saves 20
pounds of CO2 emissions per day, and with more than 100 people
riding the bus per day, the amount of CO2 emissions saved is
significant.
A-Basin supports public transportation, so much so, that employees
are not only encouraged but are rewarded for using public
transport, and so are A-Basin's guests. Arapahoe Basin offers
discounted lift ticket rates to those who carpool to the ski area.
The program offers the discount even if people in the car have a
season pass.
The positive environmental efforts made by Arapahoe Basin are not
overlooked. This year the resort was awarded the 2008 Clif Bar
Silver Eagle Award for Visual Impact and has been a finalist in
consideration for many other environmental awards.
Aspen/Snowmass
A world class resort in many ways, Aspen/Snowmass, consisting of
Snowmass, Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands and Buttermilk, is a
leader in environmental sustainability and alternative energy.
Aspen/Snowmass recently funded ski industry's largest solar array
and the resort has also led the way in exploring hydro and wind
energy sources.
Through solar energy, Aspen/Snowmass generates a total of 172.2kW
with 147kW coming from a new solar array recently installed at the
Colorado Rocky Mountain School (CRMS) in Carbondale, Colo. The $1
million system sits on one half acre of ranchland owned by the high
school and is currently the largest solar electric installation in
all of ski country. The electricity generated powers the school's
science building, with excess energy fed into the town of
Carbondale's power grid. Annually, the installation will produce
200,000kWh (enough power for 20 average American homes) and keep
400,000 lbs of carbon dioxide out of the air each year.
Several other facilities around Aspen make use of solar energy
including a 2.3kW solar installation at Aspen Highlands that powers
the ski patrol shack; Thunder River Lodge, a new employee housing
complex in Carbondale, CO, has a 10.6 kW solar installation; The
Little Nell hotel has installed a 5kW array with energy monitoring
room that will detail consumption and power generated; and the
Snowmass Club recently installed a 4.3kW solar array.
Along with solar arrays, Aspen/Snowmass also installed a
micro-Hydro plant has been installed at the resort. The 115kW
micro-Hydro plant at Snowmass will generate power during the summer
when run-off begins. This plant generates nearly enough energy to
power 20 average American homes each year, this season, however,
due to high water concentration after a winter of great snowpack,
the micro-hydro plant actually generated power for two extra
months.
More environmental progress at Snowmass is being served up with
LEED certified construction of Sam's Restaurant and Snowmass base
village will be certified as LEED for Neighborhood Development
(LEED ND).
In 2007, 4.4 million passengers used alternative transportation in
Aspen/Snowmass. Aspen's Roaring Fork Transit Authority (RFTA)
operates a number of Hybrid Buses and has increased the percentage
of Bio-Diesel used in the buses. RFTA provides extensive commuter
bus services within the Roaring Fork Valley between Aspen and
Glenwood Springs. Limited commuter bus services are provided
between Glenwood Springs and Rifle. Intra city bus services are
available within Aspen and Glenwood Springs through contracts with
these municipalities, and free skier shuttle services are provided
to the four Aspen ski areas under a contract with Aspen Skiing
Company. In 2003 and again in 2006, RFTA won the honor of "Large
Transit Agency of the Year" by the Colorado Association of Transit
Agencies (CASTA).
At Aspen/Snowmass, environmental partnerships go beyond the
corporate realm. More than half of Aspen/Snowmass employees
contribute a dollar per week to the Environment Foundation, which
is a nonprofit governed and run by employees. Employee
contributions are matched by the Aspen Community Foundation, and
again by the Aspen Skiing Company Family Fund. Donations go to
local environmental causes such as clean air and water programs,
trail maintenance and energy efficiency initiatives. The foundation
has donated $1.2 million to various groups in the Roaring Fork
Valley since its inception in 1997.
Aspen wants to bring energy efficiency to a new level. To do so,
Aspen is working to advance state and federal-level policy that
reduces climate change threats. In 2006, Aspen Skiing Company was
one of three filers of Amicus Brief arguing that the EPA should
regulate CO2 from autos under the Clean Air Act - a landmark case
where the Supreme Court ultimately agreed with the brief.
Aspen/Snowmass is often recognized for their environmental efforts.
Recent accolades include, 2008 Clif Bar Silver Eagle Award for
Environmental Education, 2008 Snowmass Club Golf Course Audubon
Cooperative Sanctuary Program Certification, 2008 National Ski
Areas Association (NSAA) Best Overall Marketing Programming
(Resorts with 500,000+ skier visits - recognizing Aspen/Snowmass'
compact fluorescent distribution program), and 2008 City of Aspen
ZGreen Membership recognizing exemplary environmental
stewardship.
Copper Mountain
While Copper Mountain moves forward on construction of the 19,000
sq.ft. training facility, Woodward at Copper, they are striving for
Green Globes recognition of environmentally sustainable building
practices. Already a steward of the environment, Copper Mountain
offsets 100 percent of electricity used for snowmaking, lifts and
all Copper-owned buildings, amounting to 20,000 Kwh. Additionally,
Copper operates three Cobus 3000s, environmentally friendly buses
that are nearly 60 percent more efficient than standard buses.
Copper has also been able to reduce its snowmobile fuel consumption
by 40 percent in the past two years.
Copper's overall renewable energy strategy is evidenced by the
recent installation of their first solar project. Photovoltaic
panels now line the south-facing roof of Copper's Transportation
Center located in the Alpine Lot. The 4.2 kilowatt solar system is
providing a portion of the electricity for the building.
Increased recycling will continue to be a priority of Copper
Mountain, with plans to add several independent businesses to the
program and pilot a guest recycling program in The Cirque hotel.
Copper will also continue to reuse materials whenever possible in
terrain parks and other on-mountain operations.
In support of the benefits of public transportation and carpooling,
Copper Mountain is offering carpooling incentives to guests who
arrive with four or more people in their vehicle. On select
weekends, Copper will be offering premier parking in the Alpine Lot
for those who carpool. Carpoolers will not only enjoy VIP parking
close to the shuttle buses and a short walk back to their car at
the end of the day, but they will also be entered into a Season
Pass giveaway for the 2009-2010 winter season. Additionally, Copper
will be further incentivizing guests to carpool by providing fun
bumper stickers that take a light-hearted slant on the
campaign.
Local forest conservation plays a large role in Copper's
Environmental Program. Copper has partnered with the National
Forest Foundation (NFF) to fund local conservation projects and has
committed to donate funds to the Friends of the Dillon Ranger
District (FDRD), a local non-profit partner of the United States
Forest Service (USFS). Copper will continue to raise funds through
the Ski Area Contribution Program, support local conservation
groups, including FDRD, and maintain the local Wheeler Lakes Trail
through the Adopt-a-Trail program.
The Ski Area Contribution Program granted more than $75,000 to
local non-profits since its inception in November 2006. Copper has
also created an employee environmental fund, whereby voluntary
contributions from employees are matched by Copper and the money is
granted to local non-profit or tax-exempt groups conducting
youth-focused community environmental projects, through which more
than $5,000 was granted to four projects to support local youth
environmental action and education initiatives in the first year
alone.
As Copper emerges as a major player in environmental stewardship,
they look for ways to make a longer lasting impact. Copper Mountain
supports state and federal legislation to reduce carbon emissions.
They support the Rocky Mountain Climate Organization's Colorado
Climate Project and Colorado Bill Ritter's climate action plan to
reduce energy and fuel consumption. On a national level, Copper
supports the U.S. Climate Action Partnership, which is endorsed by
the National Ski Areas Association and the National Resources
Defense Council.
Crested Butte
In time for the 2008-09 ski season, Crested Butte Mountain Resort
(CBMR) will join the other Colorado resorts to offset their carbon
footprint 100 percent with RECs. In addition to alternative energy
efforts, Crested Butte participates in resort-wide recycling, green
building and donates a percentage of property sales and business
sales to preserving open space in the Gunnison Valley.
Guests at restaurants and retail operations at CBMR will have the
opportunity to assure open space in the upper Gunnison Valley.
Butte 66, Rustica, the Ice Bar, Paradise Warming Hut, Base Area
Basics, On Mountain Basics, the General Store, The Woodstone, The
Woodstone Deli, The Grand Lodge Gift Shop, the Atmosphere
Restaurant, and Elevation Station are all participants in the 1%
for Open Space program. With purchases at these participating
locations, customers are given the option to donate 1% of the
services provided to them to 1% for Open Space. Once collected, the
program grants this money to requesting organizations for the
protection of open space in Gunnison County. Through these
non-profits, land has been preserved on the Woods Walk, the Lower
Loop, the Rec Path, Washington Gulch, along the Slate River, and
Kebler Pass, among others. CBMR has donated 4% of its Prospect land
sales to the Crested Butte Land Trust, a Crested Butte non-profit
that works to permanently preserve open space land in the
area.
Also new for the coming ski season, CBMR is upping the ante on its
recycling efforts. Visitors will now find a more prominent
recycling program throughout the resort, for cans and bottles that
the public uses, and office paper and cardboard more predominately
used by mountain operations.
Additionally, while remodeling the Gothic building, elements such
as beams were recycled back into use by re-milling them for other
building projects. Kitchen equipment found a new home at other food
establishments on the mountain and anything from toilets to light
fixtures to the light bulbs themselves were carefully extracted to
be used elsewhere. Additionally, much of the construction materials
that cannot be reused will be ground on site and reused in the
construction of the Cimarron building, mostly as backfill. This
effort helps the environment in a number of ways, including
producing less waste, reducing the need for new materials, and
decreasing the number of trucks being utilized to carry out
construction waste. Material that is completely unusable will be
mulched.
Eldora
As a reflection of the environmental stewardship of the
surrounding communities, Eldora is launching a new outdoor
education program this season. Through a partnership with Nederland
schools, the program goes beyond learning to ski to encompass
science and nature curriculum disguised as fun outdoor
activities.
Environmental efforts of Eldora include public transportation
advocacy. Eldora is the only Front Range ski resort accessible via
Denver's Regional Transportation District (RTD) bus route. Another
environmental initiative of the resort includes recycling office
materials and food service waste. Additionally, Eldora continues to
improve the efficiency of its snowmaking system to lower its energy
demand.
Monarch Mountain
Each season, while Monarch Mountain is coated in white, they are
also steeped in green. Monarch is unique in that it can deliver top
notch skiing without man made snow - therefore keeping energy
deficiencies at zero. Additionally, Monarch recycles everything
possible at their resort and their food and beverage facility uses
compostable cutlery.
Powderhorn
At Powderhorn, resort recycling is taken as seriously as skiing.
Powderhorn recycles everything including glass, plastics, aluminum,
office paper, newspaper, cardboard, uniforms, printer cartridges,
oil, skis, and some metals. Additionally, Powderhorn recently
installed a used-oil burner in their Fleet Maintenance area. The
burner will reduce propane use and eliminate sending waste oil to
third parties for disposal. Furthermore, Powderhorn gives old
rental skis to a local carpenter who uses them to manufacture deck
chairs and benches.
Powderhorn also does its part to support alternative energy. They
offset two of their three lifts with RECs. And to promote
alternative transportation, Grand Junction's town shuttle runs to
and from Powderhorn on all weekends and holidays.
Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort
The environmental efforts of Purgatory at Durango Mountain Resort
begin with alternative energy, such as bio-fuels, that are used in
all vehicle fleets and machines, both on and off mountain.
Purgatory also has a resort-wide recycling program that encourages
all guests and employees to recycle. Purgatory recycles all
construction material and is home to the North County Recycling
Center, where residents of the North County can bring their
recyclables and Purgatory will get them to the town-recycling
center.
In support of alternative transportation, Durango's carpool program
is their biggest initiative. The resort sees high participation in
their employee carpool program, with incentives ranging from $7-$10
per day. They've also recently instituted the Carpool Parking Lot,
offering free close-in parking to cars with three or more
people.
Purgatory's environmental efforts reach beyond the ski area
boundary. Durango works closely with environmental groups located
in the Four Corners Region, including partnering with San Juan
Biodiesel, an organization looking to sustain biodiesel growth and
usage in the Four Corners Region.
Silverton
At the no frills ski area of Silverton Mountain, reduce, reuse and
recycle is the mantra. The ski area has basically nothing new.
Reusing is the ultimate form of recycling and the very foundation
on which the resort was built. The entire ski area has been built
with recycled products, which were either donated and/or purchased
used from other areas around the country. The base lodge was
donated from the town of Silverton. The equipment facility is an
old school bus. The mountain's only lift was purchased from Mammoth
resort in California, and all of the mountain vehicles were donated
as well as all handheld radios, furnishings, carpet, bar equipment,
ski patrol toboggans, rope, and bamboo.
Steamboat
Despite the increased cost of supporting renewable energy,
Steamboat is committed to reducing the carbon footprint of its
operations. Steamboat has been recognized by the US Environmental
Protection Agency's Green Power Partnership for its leadership in
bringing new renewable energy to market. The Burgess Creek,
Christie Peak Express and Sunshine Express chairlifts utilize a
combination of alternative energies including solar and wind
power.
Steamboat's commitment to environmental management is evident in
its Silver Eagle Award-winning recycling system. During the 2007-08
season, roughly 150 tons of materials were recycled using the
comingling system, including glass, cardboard, aluminum, plastic,
tin, newspaper and office paper. Other creative recycling efforts
include coffee grounds, and new patio furniture made entirely from
recycled milk jugs at the top of the gondola at Thunderhead. All
disposable products used at the resort are made from renewable
resources and are biodegradable.
The resort supports several methods of public transportation,
including free parking and shuttles. Steamboat offers public
transit via a fleet of people-movers that provide shuttle service
from a variety of near-site parking facilities to the ski resort as
well as transportation to employee housing. The shuttle system,
along with the city bus system, transports the majority of guests
from remote parking, downtown and area condominiums. These efforts
reduce the vehicle miles traveled by guests and employees and
reduce emissions and traffic congestion. Both the resort and city's
transportation systems are free.
Steamboat's resume of community environmental outreach projects is
robust and includes a joint project with the U.S. Forest Service
and the Boy Scouts of America, in which more than 800 spruce
seedlings were planted at the ski area's kids-only winter adventure
park, Rough Rider Basin. Another environmental community outreach
partnership was comprised of the donation of personnel and heavy
equipment to the Strawberry Park Elementary School rehabilitation
program at Butcherknife Creek where re-hab included regrading and
revegetating stream banks, as well as improving habitat for fish
and wildlife. Additionally, SSRC collaborated with agencies to
explore possibilities for improving nesting habitat for migratory
birds, with an increased awareness of habitats that are preferred
by certain species. The resort has worked toward maintaining a
balance between changes made to the mountain and the integrity of
natural habitats.
Other community outreach is focused on special re-vegetation
practices that utilize natural grasses and plants to provide
improved wildlife habitat for many foraging species. In addition,
Steamboat's annual spring on-mountain project day, now in its 18th
year, has been organized with more than 100 resort employees
working on projects, gathering litter and other materials from
across the area. On average, nearly 100 gallons of trash is removed
or recycled from the resort that day.
Water conservation is another issue where Steamboat is making
waves. The resort has saved significant quantities of water through
the use of low-flush toilets and auto shut-off faucets, which has
resulted in reduced wastewater volume discharge. Snowmaking is
another area where the resort has conserved water. Currently,
nearly 4 miles/6.2km of primary snowmaking pipe is being installed
that is rated to last an average of 50 years, twice as long as
existing pipe and able to handle pressure upwards of 700 pounds per
square inch. These pipes will essentially eliminate leaks.
Steamboat was one of the first resorts in the country to use this
new technology, installing nearly 9 miles/14.4kms of this pipe over
the past two seasons.
Additionally, the resort makes an annual contribution of $75,000
for recreational projects including: parks, beautification and
recreation. In addition, over the past two decades, more than $1.7
million has gone toward community projects. Since its inaugural
year in 2004, the Ski Corp. Employee Environmental Fund has granted
nearly $200,000 to 42 projects representing a variety of nonprofit
organizations across the Yampa Valley. The resorts' funds are
housed at the Yampa Valley Community Foundation, which manages over
100 funds from scholarships to legacy endowments and has awarded
$3.4 million in grants and built an endowment for the Yampa Valley,
including future gifts, of more than $10 million.
Steamboat's list of environmental awards include the 2002 NSAA
Silver Eagle Award for Environmental Education, 1998 NSAA Silver
Eagle Award for Environmental Excellence in Area Design, and 1993
NSAA Silver Eagle Award for Recycling Program. Steamboat was also a
finalist in many other award considerations.
Sunlight Mountain Resort
Knowing that the mountain environment is a ski resort's number one
asset, Sunlight Mountain Resort has committed to a corporate
environmental ethic. In partnership with the White River National
Forest, Sunlight Mountain Resort is moving toward a level of
stewardship that will protect and enhance these valuable and
sensitive public lands.
Starting with public transportation, the Sunlight Employee Transit
System provides more than 100,000 employee passenger miles per
season. Additionally, the resort's guest Park and Ride Program,
launched in 2000, allows the resort to provide a scheduled park and
ride service, based at the Sunlight Ski & Bike Shop in downtown
Glenwood Springs. The program has reduced single vehicle usage of
Four Mile Road, reduced parking demand at the resort, and provided
a transportation service that gives guests an alternative to
driving snow-covered mountain roads.
One of the goals of Sunlight's Vegetation Management Program is to
maintain the maximum forest cover that is compatible with safe and
varied skiing and snowboarding. To that end, operating plans and
training documents emphasize the protection of tree groves from
possible mechanical damage by snow grooming equipment and other
operating machinery. Where ground-disturbing re-contouring occurs
on ski trails, Sunlight Mountain Resort summer crews immediately
mulch and seed with Forest Service approved grass seed mixes to
protect against short-term soil erosion. Over a period of years,
native plants will re-enter these sites.
Transplanting native plants is also done in specific areas of the
mountain. The result of these efforts is an aesthetically appealing
and ecologically benign series of managed plant communities.
Another environmental issue getting attention from Sunlight is the
threat that climate change poses to the environment and to winter
recreation. Through collaboration with NSAA, Sunlight hopes to
raise awareness of the potential impacts of climate change on
weather-dependent winter sports, reduce their own greenhouse gas
emissions, and encourage others to take action as well. To this
end, the resort is educating guests about the potential impacts of
climate change and how they can help reduce greenhouse gases.
Sunlight is also raising policy maker awareness of the dependence
of winter sports on natural ecosystems and the potential impacts of
climate change on the winter sports experience. Additionally, the
resort advocates the national reduction of greenhouse gases through
legislative, regulatory or voluntary measures, and, supports sound,
science-based solutions to climate change, including the use of
renewable energy technologies.
Telluride
At Telluride Ski Resort, environmental stewardship begins with
renewable energy, recycling and alternative transportation.
Telluride uses RECs to offset 1,000,000 kWh of electricity use each
year. Moreover, they use biodiesel in some on mountain machinery
including snowcats, trail crew utility machines, and all golf
course utility vehicles.
Telluride's latest "reduce, reuse, and recycle" efforts include
resort restaurants using natural sugar cane to-go containers, and
printing receipts at all food and beverage outlets only when asked
for by guests, saving approximately 2,000 receipts daily. Ski
school also initiates a paperless check-out system, saving 10,000
triplicate forms. And the resort has made the transfer of all legal
files to digital format and developed a paperless database for
Platinum Properties, reducing paper usage.
Recycling is available at all guest service kiosks, and at the
snowcat fuel island. The maintenance department now uses bulk
chemicals and is phasing out aerosol cans. They are also
transitioning to cloth rags for cleaning instead of paper towels.
One of Telluride's more creative initiatives was the recent
purchase of a waste oil heater. This heater burns all food and
beverage fryer oils as well as most maintenance shop oils including
hydraulic fluids, used motor oils, and more, saving heating bills
and hazmat hauling fees.
Old rental shop skis are now used for trail sign posts on the
mountain by the ski patrol, and old trail signs are recycled for
reuse. Lastly, club members now replace plastic water bottles with
reusable ones, saving 1500 bottles per year.
At the forefront of alternative transportation is Telluride's
gondola system which serves approximately 3 million guests per
year. Additionally, employee commuter shuttles save about 500,000
miles driven per season.
Environmental partnerships are also a large part of Telluride's
environmental program. The resort is aligned with the United States
Forest Service, United States Environmental Protection Agency,
Colorado Division of Wildlife, US Fish and Wildlife Service, Army
Corp. of Engineers, Sheep Mountain Alliance, San Juan Fens
Partnership, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Colorado
Department Of Transportation, New Community Coalition
Sustainability Team, Clif Bar, Chaco, and Fairfield Resorts.
Recognition for excellent environmental initiatives that have been
awarded to Telluride include the 2002 NSAA Golden Eagle Award for
Environmental Excellence, 2002 Regional Forester's Caring for the
Land Stewardship Award, 2005 NSAA Silver Eagle Award for Protection
of Fish and Wildlife Habitat, and 2004 Fully Certified Audubon
Cooperative Sanctuary golf course.
Winter Park
To better educate its staff and guests about Winter Park Resort's
environmental initiatives, the resort developed Connexion- an
umbrella brand with a distinct look to place throughout the resort
on various recycling stations and displayed on signage on the
mountain. Connexion's goal is to inform, involve and educate resort
employees, guests and the community about the environment in which
they work and play. The program includes energy reduction efforts
with the purchase of RECs, the utilization of single-use items made
from biodegradable resources, and an expanded recycling program for
guests and staff.
The new village cabriolet is the latest beneficiary of RECs,
continuing Winter Park's commitment to power all future chairlifts
with renewable energy. This year, the resort will purchase 200
MW/hr or additional credits, adding to the resort's ongoing energy
reduction. AreaNet, a computer program designed by a resort
employee, allows the resort to monitor and control energy
use.
Winter Park Resort's food and beverage department continues the
resort's recycling efforts with several exciting programs. Three
on-mountain restaurants are currently without dishwashers and will
purchase environmentally-friendly, non-toxic and completely
sustainable single-use products like cups, plates, bowls and
cutlery made from resources such as corn, sugar cane and potato
starch.
Actions such as these make Winter Park deserving of the following
environmental awards: NSAA 2007 Silver Eagle Award for Excellence
in Visual Impact and 2008 Colorado Department of Health and
Environment Bronze Achievement Award.
Wolf Creek
Approximately 150,000 kWh of RECs per month are used to offset 100
percent of Wolf Creek's year-round operations. Along with wind
power, the resort harnesses the abundant Colorado sunshine to power
its small outlying buildings. Additionally, the resort is in the
process of LEED certifying one of its new buildings, the Raven Day
Use Building.
While Wolf Creek excels in many ski industry programs, their
recycling program has gained particular attention. Not only does
Wolf Creek recycle kitchen oil, heavy equipment oil, steel,
aluminum, cardboard, paper, batteries, old uniforms, ink jet
cartridges, office equipment and phone books, but they are working
to get ski boot manufactures to recycle old plastic ski
boots.
This season, the resort is doing its part to help guests get relief
from rising fuel prices while helping the environment. Wolf Creek
is introducing a new and free online carpool service. This is a
pilot program designed to match up skiers and riders coming from
anywhere, USA to the powdery slopes of Wolf Creek. "Share the ride,
Share the fun" can be found on the Wolf Creek website or on
alternaterides.com.
Wolf Creek is one 11 Colorado ski areas that received the
Sustainable Business Practices award by the U.S. Forest Service in
2006.
# # #
Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) is the not-for-profit trade association representing Colorado's 22 ski & snowboard resorts. CSCUSA is the global voice of the Colorado ski industry. The Association's primary functions are concentrated in marketing, public policy and public relations. Information about CSCUSA and its members can be found at www.ColoradoSki.com. This release and other press information can be found in the online press room at http://media-ColoradoSki.com.
