FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
Contact Information:
Karl Stone: 800-887-5464 x202
Alice Pearce: 800-887-5464 x203
Email: media@SkiNH.com
Download Release:  www.SkiNH.com

NEW HAMPSHIRE SKI AREAS STRENGTHEN ENVIRONMENTAL EFFORTS

NORTH WOODSTOCK, NH, OCTOBER 2008 - 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 encourage sustainable practices.  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.

Cannon Mountain, Franconia Notch - Cannon has initiated an anti-idling campaign involving signage at all parking and drop-off locations.  Also being implemented is a comprehensive recycling program for paper products, cardboard, glass and cans.  Potential future initiatives could include green energy credits, biodiesel, and other alternative energy sources.

Waterville Valley, Waterville Valley - All resort shuttle buses are currently being converted to bio diesel.  An anti-idling program is in place encouraging guests to turn off their vehicles while in drop-off zones.  A new employee shuttle will offer employees rides from exit 28 off of I-93 saving 22 miles round trip every day.  There will also be daily bus service to the Trailways Station in Plymouth, NH for guests wishing to travel from Boston via bus.  Food service operations will utilize biodegradable plates and cups as well as offering recycling.

Wildcat Mountain, Pinkham Notch - New low-energy snowguns will help reduce environmental impact as well as energy costs.  Other environmental efforts include a vegetation restoration project in Mountain Jag glade which will involve restricted use in areas allowing for growth to regenerate.  Wildcat also utilizes Greenwave environmentally-friendly food service products in its dining areas. 

Cranmore, North Conway - In 2003 Cranmore became the first ski area east of the Mississippi to run its grooming equipment and other equipment on biodiesel.  Now all four groomers at Cranmore operate on biodiesel.  Anti-idling zones can be found around the resort encouraging guests and employees to turn their cars off instead of idling.  

Mount Sunapee, Newbury - Mount Sunapee now uses biodiesel (B-20) in its snow grooming equipment and heavy equipment.  Biodiesel (B-5) is now used to heat base lodges and buildings.  A total of 48 HKD high-efficiency snowguns are now in use; these guns produce as much snow at warmer temperatures as older snow guns did, while using 12-25% less compressed air per gun.  Cardboard, glass, scrap metal, vehicle oil, and kitchen oil are all recycled.  Low flush toilets, water conserving sink faucets and energy-efficient fluorescent light fixtures have been installed.  A no-idle policy is also in place for all buses.  Mount Sunapee also buys all its electrical energy through renewable energy certificates that utilize wind-generated energy. 

In addition to the efforts listed above, a few initiatives have garnered a wide following among NH's ski resorts. 

The use of biodiesel has become a popular fuel alternative for many NH ski resorts.  Cranmore, Bretton Woods, Dartmouth Skiway, King Pine, Loon Mountain, Mount Sunapee, and Ragged Mountain Resort have 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 the rise in greenhouse gases is to reduce the amount of time stationary engines and vehicles idle by encouraging anti-idling initiatives.  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 Mountain Resort, Pats Peak, Jackson XC, King Pine, Loon Mountain, and Ragged Mountain Resort 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.  Drivers of group ski buses are asked to turn off their engines and come into the base lodge for the day.  Business-related deliveries also are greeted with 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, King Pine and Loon Mountain have recycling containers available for guests, and more ski areas are planning to offer recycling for guests this winter.

With such a diverse array of ski areas in New Hampshire, it isn't surprising that many areas have unique environmental efforts at their resorts.  Crotched Mountain and King Pine recycle waste oil to heat their base lodges and other buildings on their properties.  Bretton Woods is expanding Lake Carolyn, a wet land that is a natural habitat for fish and wildlife.  Ragged Mountain resort 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.  Windblown XC heats its buildings with wood fires from wood that is grown and harvested on its own land.  Loon Mountain is the first ski resort in the eastern United States to make SkiGreen Tags available.  They cost $2 each, and can be purchased at the same time a lift ticket is purchased.  Each SkiGreen Tag represents 100-kilowatt hours of wind energy and offsets 140 pounds of global warming pollution.

"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 with the NH Department of Environmental Services, and sharing best practices, New Hampshire ski areas will be able to implement many additional programs that help their businesses 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 37 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 Media.

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