![]() ![]() During the pandemic, Shaffer deftly pivoted and created POWDR’s Play it Forward effort to help the local communities that are home to the resorts weather the financial, social, and medical impact of Covid-19. This year’s Hero of Sustainability, Laura Shaffer, is the creator of POWDR Corp’s Play Forever initiative, which is the company’s sustainability and corporate responsibility commitment across its 17 resorts. From large-scale carbon-reduction projects to recycling nitrile gloves, Eldora knows it takes a village. Photo: Courtesy of Eldora Mountain ResortĪt Eldora, the onus to help fight climate change is shared throughout the company on all levels, and employees in every department are empowered to think about-and act upon-ways in which they can help make an impact. Eldora employees from all department are encouraged to get involved in environmental initiatives. For its part, Taos is training employees to become Type 2 Wildland Firefighters who can perform active forest management and help create more sustainable forests that won’t be so easily demolished by wildfires. The Water Fund is working toward the reforestation of upstream lands to ensure fresh water in the Rio Grande Watershed. Taos was recognized for its work in setting up the Rio Grande Water Fund, established after the devastating Las Conchas fire of 2014 burned over 150,000 acres on Santa Fe National Forest. The Climate Change Impact Award went to two resorts this year: Taos Ski Valley, N.M., and Colo.’s Eldora Mountain Resort. Learn About Copper’s Native Seeding Program What’s more, by reaching out to local volunteers, Copper turned the effort into an education experience, and is now sharing its intel with other local resorts with hopes to grow the program. ![]() Copper Mountain, Colo., took home the honor this year thanks to a multi-year project collecting harvested and restored native foliage to the resort’s land. The Innovation in Sustainability Award was rolled out in 2018 and recognizes efforts by resorts to engage the community in the stewardship of our recreational land. The company’s goal is to become carbon neutral by 2030. The initiative is multi-pronged and includes moving to 100-percent renewable electric energy solutions, collaborating with industry experts and partners to determine the right path forward, and continuing to improve best practices in resort operations such as grooming and snowmaking. This year, the Golden Eagle Award for Environmental Excellence went to Boyne Resorts, Mich, which was acknowledged for its Forever Project, rolled out across its 13 ski and lake resorts last season. While SKI is no longer involved, the NSAA continues to move the needle, announcing its Golden Eagle Awards winners for the 2020-’21 ski season last week-three resorts and one individual helping to shine a light on issues of sustainability in every corner of the industry. These awards actually originated as a partnership between SKI and NSAA designed to r ecognize resorts, programs, and people in the industry making strides toward sustainability.Īlso Read: This Colorado Ski Area Turned a Coal Mine into a Power Plant To that end, the National Ski Areas Association has been rewarding the good work done by ski resorts around sustainability and environmental issues since 1993 through its Golden Eagle Awards. Boyne Resorts, owner of over a dozen ski and lakeside resorts, was recognized for its efforts to apply best environmental practices across resort operations such as snowmaking. CANON GOLDEN EAGLE REWARDS PROGRAM HOW TOWe might not agree on how to do it, but we know we have to change how we do things-in the ski industry and across the globe. Yet as soul-soothing as that is, we can’t say we’re not worried about the impacts of climate change on the future of our sport-or even the impact that the ski industry itself has on the environment and what we can do to stem the damage. ![]() As avid outdoorists here at SKI, we love the mountains and hope to spend many more years blazing down slopes on skis and bikes. ![]()
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