Environmental Stewardship

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Environmental stewardship is nothing new to Lake Tahoe. Since 1969, the Tahoe Regional Planning Agency (TRPA) had led the effort to preserve, restore, and enhance the unique natural environment of the Lake Tahoe area. The nation’s first ever bi-state environmental planning agency, TRPA is committed to striving for lake clarity, forest health, water quality, wildfire safety, and sustainable development. In pursuit of these objectives, the organization implements land-use regulations, growth management, and resource management plans to create a healthy place that can be enjoyed for generations to come. In 2007, TRPA and other public agencies joined forces with members of the Lake Tahoe community in a program called Pathway, a cooperative effort designed to share professional resources and expertise. Working in close partnership, the agencies are updating vital resource management plans to guide land development and environmental regulations over the next 20 years. Furthering our dedication to the environment, we are continuing to participate in SkiGreen™, a partnership with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF). BEF is a nonprofit organization that provides access to renewable energy, expands the use of solar and wind energy, and develops additional energy sources. By selling Green Tags at our resorts, we encourage consumers to support the environmental efforts designed to safeguard our planet. We are proud to be working in harmony with these committed organizations to help create a unified vision of Tahoe’s brightest future, but our zealousness doesn’t stop there. The individual Ski Lake Tahoe ski & snowboard resorts are also doing their part to protect and preserve our precious natural resources.

Environmental stewardship. A Unified Vision.

Alpine Meadow’s recycling program continues to yield progress year after year with a focus on waste reduction and programs designed to maximize recycling. The mountain has recycled more than 40 tons of cardboard, paper, beverage containers, used vegetable oil, batteries, fluorescent lights, computer equipment, and printer cartridges. These efforts translated to preventing 35 million tons of carbon emissions from entering the atmosphere. For the past six years, Alpine Meadows has also been using biodiesel fuel in its fleet of transportation buses. Vegetable-based and renewable, a 20 percent biodiesel fuel blend reduces emissions by 12 percent and 20 percent. The resort will continue this fuel use and further explore eco-friendly alternatives.
Heavenly Ski Resort embraces its role as an environmental steward charged with protecting the qualities that make Lake Tahoe special. A leader among ski & snowboard resorts, Heavenly employs a Master Plan to determine whether there is an overall trend of improvement in environmental conditions for forest, soil, air, and water resources. The use of an innovative water-treatment system provides the highest levels of effectiveness in a commercially available product, with the objective of meeting nearly the same water quality standards as safe drinking water. As the founding member of the Coordinated Transit System, Heavenly transports more than 450,000 passengers on low-emission shuttles every season, saving nearly 1.6 million vehicle miles of travel. The resort has also taken a leadership role in recycling and conservation. Every season, Heavenly purchases 16 million kilowatt-hours of wind energy credits to offset 100 percent of its energy use. And a partnership with the National Forest Foundation raises funds for the national forests of the Lake Tahoe Basin by asking guests to contribute $1 to the purchase of each season pass and lift ticket.
Kirkwood Ski Resort continues its funding project with the National Forest Foundation (NFF)—the congressionally chartered nonprofit partner of the U.S. Forest Service—after having assisted in the delivery of a grant in 2009 to build and maintain trails in the Eldorado National Forest. Rates for every lodging unit at the resort include a $1.00 donation to the NFF, and the monies generated will be applied to funding future projects within the Eldorado National Forest. When guests purchase daily lift tickets or season passes, they are given the opportunity to buy Ski GreenTags, which fund research in sustainable energy sources. Ongoing energy-efficient retrofits and recent conservation initiatives continue to reduce the resort’s overall energy consumption, while improved recycling efforts have diverted more than 67 percent of the overall waste stream by volume. With an eye on reducing pollution, traffic, and gas consumption, Kirkwood maintains a successful online carpool forum in partnership with Snowbomb.com to increase ridesharing to the resort—an effort that was responsible for taking more than 1,000 cars off the road. A unique variation on the traditional blog, this version provides an online social network where people can connect with other skiers and boarders who plan to visit the resort.
At Mt. Rose-Ski Tahoe, a dedication to sustaining and strengthening the region’s precious natural resources is evident. The new Slide Lodge construction plan is based on Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) principles, and will incorporate smart technology to make use of passive solar mechanisms to maximize the efficiency of the building. Three wind spires are included in the design to offset energy usage of the facility by up to 30 percent. The ski resort’s environmental efforts also include recycling and waste-reduction programs; the development of best-management practices for construction sites, incorporating input from local regulatory agencies; the improvement of water quality through erosion and sediment controls; the implementation of energy and water-efficiency design, both on the hill and in the lodges; protection of natural wetlands and restoration of native vegetation; and the establishment of transportation initiatives that reduce air pollution by providing viable alternatives to the use of individual vehicles.
Northstar-at-Tahoe™ Ski Resort was the first California ski area to partner with BEF to purchase Green Tags in support of wind energy, offsetting approximately 215,600 pounds of global-warming emissions associated with its electrical energy use. In keeping with this effort, the resort has created the Environmental Leadership at Northstar, which will initiate a SureBet energy audit with the local public utility district to identify programs to help reduce energy use and make efficiency improvements. In conjunction with East West Partners and Sierra Watch, Northstar is developing a comprehensive Habitat Management Plan for its entire 8,000 acres to recommend specific treatments for enhanced forest/habitat health. What’s more, Northstar has increased its mass transportation efforts by 36 percent, and operates its shuttle fleet on biodiesel fuel. The resort also has expanded recycling efforts, and continues to make improvements to erosion control and water quality.
Sierra-at-Tahoe® believes in making tangible impacts on the local environment. The resort’s “right here, right now” philosophy has led employees to create Project: Green Sierra, an umbrella initiative that brings the resort’s many sustainability programs under one roof. Sierra has increased its volume of on-site recycling, becoming the first commercial property on South Shore to initiate the Blue Bag recycling program. The Green Lot allows anyone who drives to the resort in a hybrid vehicle to park up front, for free, in Preferred Parking. Building materials are constantly recycled and reused instead of thrown away or purchased new, and eco-friendly cleaning and disposable products are used throughout the resort. During the 2008-2009 winter season, Sierra worked with two groups of local schoolchildren to recycle plastic bottle caps through the Aveda Caps Recycling Program. The children collected enough caps to fill 17 33-gallon trash bags. The caps are being recycled into Aveda’s Limited Edition Clove Shampoo bottles.
Squaw Valley USA is committed to a multi-million-dollar environmental improvement program, which has instituted extensive re-vegetation and erosion-control projects to ensure the health and quality of native and naturalized plant population and wetland areas. The resort has also developed a comprehensive recycling program, and has made revolutionary innovations in energy use to guarantee minimal depletion of natural resources and to reduce greenhouse gas emissions. The Olympic Ice Pavilion utilizes the most technologically advanced refrigeration system of its kind: a heat exchanger that freezes the ice in the skating rink while simultaneously heating the Swimming Lagoon and Spa, surrounding decks and walkways, and the interior of the High Camp mountaintop facility. Power factor correction and harmonic filter units have been added to all the big lifts to ensure that only the energy necessary to run the lifts is used. Squaw Valley’s extensive upgrades have resulted in vast energy savings, as well as a safer and cleaner environment for resort guests.