NEW HAMPSHIRE SKI AREAS STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS
NORTH
WOODSTOCK, NH, JANUARY 2007 - One of the most alluring attributes of New
Hampshire ski areas is the beautiful environment in which they are located.
Surrounded by beautiful mountains and lakes, it's logical that ski resorts want
to be environmentally-friendly and contribute to the effort to combat climate
change. Over the past several years many of New Hampshire's ski areas have begun
to embrace and implement policies that will help to ensure these places are here
for future generations to enjoy.
Cranmore in North Conway was among the
first ski areas in North America to put proactive programs into place. In 2003
it was the first ski area east of the Mississippi River to run its snow grooming
and diesel equipment on biodiesel fuel. Since that time Bretton Woods, Dartmouth
Skiway, Loon Mountain, Mount Sunapee, and Ragged Mountain have also made the
move to biodiesel fuel for their grooming fleets and/or facility heating
sources. Several other NH areas such as Pats Peak, Cannon Mountain and the
Balsams Wilderness are actively researching making the switch as
well.
One of the most effective ways to combat climate change is to
reduce the amount of time stationary engines and vehicles idle. With busy
drop-off areas and numerous business deliveries, ski areas have large numbers of
these vehicles. Ski areas including Bretton Woods, Cranmore, Crotched Mountain,
Gunstock, Pats Peak, Jackson Ski Touring Foundation, Loon Mountain, and Ragged
Mountain have all initiated anti-idling measures at their resorts. These areas
use signage in drop-off/pick-up areas asking guests to turn off their cars as
they arrive or pick up friends and family. Business-related deliveries also are
greeted with the signage, and policies. Often these delivery trucks burn large
amounts of fuel through stationary idling for extended times as the delivery is
unloaded, making their regulation equally important.
Among the most basic
environmentally-friendly efforts is recycling. The cafeterias at ski areas
create a large amount of waste in a short period of time. Bretton Woods and Loon
Mountain have recycling containers available for guests.
With such a
diverse array of ski areas in New Hampshire, it isn't surprising that many areas
have environmental efforts exclusive to their resorts. Crotched Mountain
recycles waste oil to heat their base lodge and other buildings on the property.
Bretton Woods is expanding Lake Carolyn, a wet land that is a natural habitat
for fish and wildlife. Gunstock celebrated its 70th anniversary this winter by
giving away 1,500 trees for their customers to plant. Wildcat utilizes Greenwave
environmentally-friendly food service products in its dining areas. Ragged
Mountain has also started using corn starch utensils rather than plastic, and
Loon Mountain has switched from disposable plates and silverware to washable
dining plates and utensils. Mount Sunapee buys all its electrical energy through
renewable energy certificates that utilize wind-generated energy. Windblown
heats its buildings with wood fires from wood that is grown and harvested on
their own land.
"New Hampshire's ski resorts have always been concerned
about the environment, but the recent scientific reports about the severity of
the damage our population seems to be doing to the environment has really
sparked these initiatives. By working together and sharing best practices, New
Hampshire ski areas will be able to implement many additional programs that help
their business protect the environment that we all cherish. With such a drastic
increase in efforts over the past few years, it's exciting to see what
additional policies our ski areas will have in place over the next few years!",
added Alice Pearce, Ski NH's President.
Ski NH is the statewide
association representing 38 alpine and cross country resorts and more than 200
lodging properties in New Hampshire. For more information on ski areas, lodging
packages, lift ticket deals, and updated winter events at Ski NH mountain
resorts, call Ski NH at (800) 88-SKI-NH (800-887-5464) or visit the Ski NH
website at www.SkiNH.com. For statewide media relations assistance, visit the
New Hampshire Division of Travel and Tourism's media room at www.visitnh.gov
under Travel Industry.