2022 - 2023 Far West Skier's Guide - 69

Far West Ski Association Supports
Climate Control Initiatives...
by Jane Wyckoff
Past President, FWSA
We are now into the third decade of climate
control initiatives by the winter sports
industry, and leaders have intensified their efforts
to make climate control and carbon reduction
considerations in the forefront of
resort operations.
Sustainable Slopes
The National Ski Areas Association
Skiers and boarders love Aspen's powder!
photo courtesy of Aspen Snowmass
on educational initiatives, advocacy and community-based
activism. Stage an event based
on one or more of the seven actions of the
POW pledge. Learn more about POW at
https://protectourwinters.org/about-pow/ n
Work with your club or council and your
local ski area to develop or improve your ski
area's " Sustainable Slopes " program. This program
was adopted by the ski industry in 2000.
It provides an overarching framework for ski
areas on sustainability and enhanced environmental
performance. Learn more about Sustainable
Slopes and the National Ski Areas
Association's Environmental Charter at
https://www.nsaa.org/Sustainability.
Since its inception, the Environment
Award has been graciously sponsored by
Aspen Snowmass, The Gant Aspen and The
Crestwood Condominium Hotel. Aspen Snowmass,
an early leader in the ski industry reducing
their carbon footprint, proposed this
award for FWSA in 2015.
More information about the award, the
award application, and about previous winning
programs, can be found on the FWSA
website: www.fwsa.org.
The incoming program chair, Janine
Rands (environment@fwsa.org), will happily
work with you to submit an application
for this very important award. ss
(NSAA) Sustainable Slopes program provided
a way for ski areas to commit to sustainable
practices across their operations. To date, over
200 US ski areas have signed on to the program.
When ski areas endorse Sustainable
Slopes, they join their industry peers as a
leader in sustainability, can access sustainable
artwork, use their comprehensive badge program
to help green their operation, and apply
for sustainability grants to support environmental
projects. They demonstrate their commitment
to sustainability in 10 topic areas:
Energy, Climate Action, Climate Advocacy,
Transportation, Water, Design & Construction,
Education & Outreach, Waste, Forest Health
& Habitat, and Supply Chain.
https://www.nsaa.org/Sustainability
Climate Collaborative Charter
On June 10, 2021 Alterra Mountain Company,
Boyne Resorts, POWDR and Vail Resorts,
four of the largest ski industry leaders,
announced a joint commitment to fight climate
change. The idea was formed at an industry
conference in October of 2019. The
Climate Collaborative Charter was one of
the industry's first unified efforts to combat
climate change with the shared commitments
around sustainability and advocacy.
They agreed to operate their respective
resorts with sustainability at the forefront and
use their collective voice to advocate for effective
public policy on climate action in order to
leave a positive legacy for future generations
of skiers, snowboarders and outdoor enthusiasts.
This resulted in further implementation
of sustainable practices, including elements
from the Sustainable Slopes platform.
https://www.alterramtnco.com/socialresponsibility
ClimateUnited
Snowsports
Industries America (SIA)
launched ClimateUnited to give every winter
outdoor business the opportunity to execute
an ambitious and practical climate strategy,
building an industry-wide movement against
climate change. ClimateUnited is a two-part
initiative.
Step 1. Unite the Industry - The ClimateUnited
Pact aligns the industry around a set
of achievable principles and signals the industry's
strength and commitment to tackle climate
change at the speed and scale that it
demands.
Step 2. Mobilize the Industry - For
businesses that want guidance in their climate
action planning, the Climate Lab and 1.5C
Business Playbook give businesses a balanced
and achievable framework focusing on what
really matters, prioritizing advocacy and leadership
alongside emissions reductions.
https://www.snowsports.org/climate-tools/
climateunited/
At the Far West Ski Association's 89th
Annual Convention in Portland on June 12,
2022, the ski club delegates at the General Session
voted to approve the following resolution
in support of the Snowsports Industries
America (SIA) ClimateUnited initiative. The
Resolution was written by Randy Lew, a Past
President of the Association.
WHEREAS, our planet is getting warmer,
threatening not just our snowpack, but increasing
the number of wildfires, droughts, and devastating
storms; and
WHEREAS, the winter sports $76 billion
industry is dependent on consistent winter seasons
which have already become shorter and more volatile;
and
WHEREAS, the Far West Ski Association
(FWSA) membership of approximately 51,000
recreational skiers and riders in the twelve western
states of Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado,
Hawaii, Idaho, Nevada, Oregon, South Dakota,
Utah, Washington, and Wyoming hope to enjoy robust
winter seasons for many years to come;
AND WHEREAS, FWSA was the first
Ski Council in the US to support the National Ski
Areas Association (NSAA) " Sustainable
Slopes Initiative " which every major ski resort
is now a participant in;
Far West Skier's Guide 2O22 - 2O23
69
https://www.snowsports.org/climate-tools/climateunited/ https://www.snowsports.org/climate-tools/climateunited/ https://protectourwinters.org/about-pow/ https://www.nsaa.org/Sustainability https://www.nsaa.org/Sustainability http://www.fwsa.org https://www.alterramtnco.com/social-responsibility https://www.alterramtnco.com/social-responsibility
2022 - 2023 Far West Skier's Guide

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of 2022 - 2023 Far West Skier's Guide
