Contact: Troy Hawks
NSAA Communications
(720) 963-4215
thawks@nsaa.org

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Ski Industry Releases Annual Environmental Report

LAKEWOOD, Colo.–July 31, 2006– The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) today released its sixth Sustainable Slopes Annual Report detailing the ski industry’s progress in implementing the principles of its Environmental Charter over the past season. Together with the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC) and energy bar maker Clif Bar & Co., this season the Sustainable Slopes program focused on furthering the Keep Winter Cool campaign (www.keepwintercool.org) to fight global warming. A total of 53 resorts used an environmental Assessment Tool to collect their quantitative data. According to the Annual Report, reporting resorts are reducing their impacts on climate change by:

• Reducing 48,682,657 pounds CO2 emissions by conserving electrical energy and generating or purchasing renewable energy.
• Reducing 98,874,455 equivalent pounds of CO2 emissions by reducing waste and recycling.
• Reducing 132,153,771 equivalent pounds of CO2 emissions by reducing transportation demands.
• Reducing 279,710,883 total pounds of CO2 emissions from all energy, waste, and transportation reduction measures.

To add perspective to the CO2 reductions quantified above, consider the following:

• Eliminating 25 pounds of CO2 emissions each year is equal to planting one tree. Collectively, the reporting resorts’ total efforts are equal to planting more than 11 million trees.
• Eliminating 1,750 pounds of CO2 emissions each year is equivalent to shutting down one 250-horsepower ski lift for one day. Collectively, the reporting resorts’ total efforts are equal to shutting down almost 160,000 ski lifts for one day.
• Eliminating 2,530 pounds of CO2 emissions is equivalent to avoiding one round-trip airplane flight from New York to San Francisco. Collectively, the reporting resorts’ total efforts are equal to avoiding over 110,000 round-trip flights between New York and San Francisco.

Additional data from reporting resorts showed that:

• Resorts are conserving approximately 12.1 gallons of water in snowmaking operations per skier visit, an estimated 2.5 percent increase from 2005.
• Resorts are conserving approximately 2.5 gallons of water for consumptive uses per skier visit, a 44 percent increase from 2005.
• Resorts are saving approximately 1.35 kWh of electric energy per skier visit, a 24 percent decrease over 2005.
• Resorts are generating approximately 0.014 kWh of renewable electric energy per skier visit, a 70 percent decrease over 2005.
• Resorts are purchasing approximately 0.959 kWh of renewable electric energy per skier visit, a 16 percent increase over 2005.
• Resorts are diverting approximately 1.06 pounds of solid waste per skier visit, either through reduced use or recycling, a 32 percent increase over 2005.
• Resorts are avoiding approximately 2.12 VMT per skier visit, a 1 percent decrease from 2005.

The Annual Report also highlights the contributions of the ski industry’s 14 partnering organizations in Sustainable Slopes, including: the Bonneville Environmental Foundation; Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment; Conservation Law Foundation; U.S. Dept. of Energy; U.S. Environment Protection Agency; USDA Forest Service; Leave No Trace; The Mountain Institute; National Fish & Wildlife Foundation; National Park Service Concession Program; New York State Department of Environmental Conservation; Teton County, Wyoming; the Trust for Public Land; and the Wildlife Habitat Council.

To date, 180 resorts have endorsed the Environmental Charter, representing more than 75 percent of the ski resorts nationally based on skier/snowboarder visits. This year NSAA released an updated Environmental Charter that identifies the latest technologies and details best management practices available to resorts as they enhance their efforts related to environmental stewardship. A copy of the 74-page Sustainable Slopes Annual Report is available in electronic format on NSAA’s website. To find it, click on the Sustainable Slopes link in The Environment section of nsaa.org. Also located on the website is NSAA’s online database of ski area environmental programs, The Green Room, and information on the Keep Winter Cool campaign.

 THE NATIONAL SKI AREAS ASSOCIATION, LOCATED IN LAKEWOOD, COLO., IS A TRADE ASSOCIATION FORMED IN 1962 FOR SKI AREA OWNERS AND OPERATORS NATIONWIDE.

###