Stowe Resort Earns Green Rating
Stowe first ski resort to earn Audubon's Green Community Award
Mar 6, 2007
Sometimes it’s a bit hard to think of ski resorts—or even skiing itself—as being environmentally friendly. Can skiing and snowboarding really be "green," as the current jargon would have it?
Perhaps not, in the most stringent or literal senses After all, when we create skiing and snowboarding resorts, we cut trees, pilfer water to make snow, build buildings and parking lots and invite a whole lotta automobile traffic.
But, everything is relative, one supposes, and better to build ski playgrounds that at least show environmental sensitivity and awareness than to slap-dash make mountain sprawl.
And so, it is in that context that Stowe Mountain Resort has proudly announced that it is now the first mountain resort in the nation to earn Audubon's Green Community Award.
"Spruce Peak at Stowe, Stowe Mountain Resort's new base-area development, has earned the Audubon Green Community Award from Audubon International, a non-profit environmental organization headquartered in New York State," says the news release.
It continues, "Members of Audubon International's Sustainable Communities Program are eligible for the award, which recognizes environmental achievement and is a milestone en route to earning rigorous designation as a Certified Audubon Sustainable Community. Spruce Peak first joined the Sustainable Communities Program in early 2006, and becomes the first mountain resort in the nation to earn the Audubon Green Community Award."
Among the environmentally friendly aspects of Spruce Peak, Stowe lists:
- 2,000-plus acres of wildlife habitat permanently protected, including 10 acres of summit ski terrain on Spruce Peak that have been restored to their natural state, providing crucial habitat for the Bicknell's Thrush, and dense forests adjacent to the base village that provide nesting sites for Peregrine falcons, and habitat for moose and black bear.
- Mountain cabins built to the maximum 5-star rating of the EPA's Home Energy Rating System, and all future buildings designed to exceed Vermont's stringent commercial construction energy guidelines.
- Storm water runoff from the Spruce Peak project area is collected in a new snowmaking pond, protecting the nearby West Branch stream from potentially negative water quality impacts.
- Financial support for the Stowe Municipal Trolley system, which alleviates traffic congestion and reduces vehicle emissions along the Mountain Road.
- Planning to extend the Stowe municipal bicycle path to the Spruce Peak base area, encouraging alternative transportation and providing expanded recreational opportunities.
- A compact, pedestrian-friendly base area encouraging walkability.
- Construction of a new transfer lift between the Spruce Peak and the Mount Mansfield base area, eliminating the need for diesel buses to shuttle skiers between the two locations.
Plus:
- A new golf course is being built to stringent Audubon International environmental guidelines.
- An incentive program that encourages and rewards employees for undertaking environmental projects for the company.
- All standard office paper is 100% recycled-content.
- An employee ride-sharing program during winter, and encouraging employees to cycle to work during summer.
Yes, all these elements are commendable and point to a newly hopeful way in which to develop mountain-located vacation resorts.
But, it all begs the question, how much development is really necessary? And, the Spruce Peak project, where the homes and pricing are aimed at an elite upper class demographic, forgets altogether the question, "What about building facilities affordable to the average family?"
Hmmm...
