Grand Targhee, Jackson Hole and Park City Receive NSAA Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence

On May 5th the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) honored three ski areas, including Wyoming’s Grand Targhee and Jackson Hole, and Park City, Utah, with the 2011 Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence. Established in 1993, the Golden Eagle Awards are the ski industry’s most prestigious award for recognizing resort environmental programs and projects. This year’s Golden Eagle Awards were awarded to ski areas of three size categories: Up to 200,000 skier and snowboarder visits; 200,000 to 500,000 visits; and 500,000 or more visits.

As part of its efforts, Grand Targhee, the winner in the small ski area category, not only met, but exceeded its goal set in 2010 to of reduce its energy use by 10 percent below the previous five year average. By season’s end, Targhee achieved an 18 percent reduction in electricity use, which marked the lowest electricity use at the resort in a decade. The ski area accomplished this reduction through equipment upgrades and retrofits, building weatherization, improved operating procedures and policies and most importantly, behavioral change. Jackson Hole took the top environmental honors in the medium sized ski area category for implementation of its ISO 14001 registered Environmental Management System (EMS) over the past five years. The EMS provides for integration of all departments to reach overall resort sustainability goals; promotes continuous annual improvement; and involves monitoring, reporting and external verification to international standards. Finally,Park City won the Golden Eagle Award in the large resort category for its efforts in reducing the ski area’s carbon footprint. In the 2010/11 season, Park City reduced its carbon footprint by a whopping 54.8 percent, equivalent to taking 7,112 cars off the road for one year or the electricity used by 4,514 homes in one year.

Judges for this year’s Golden Eagle Awards include: Rod Judd, International Mountain Bicycling Association; Judy Dorsey, Brendle Group; Elysa Hammond, CLIF Bar & Company; Geraldine Link, NSAA; Loren Kroenke, USDA Forest Service; Greg Owsley, New Belgium Brewing Company; and Kirk Mills, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment (CDPHE).

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

Grand Targhee Resort Awards Environmental Grants to Teton Valley Non-Profits

Grand Targhee Resort is proud to announce the granting of over $10,000 to Teton Valley non-profits for environmental projects benefitting the local community.  The Targhee Protect Our Winters (POW) Foundation awarded six local non-profits funds for projects ranging from solar panel installation to gardening education.

The Targhee POW Foundation collects donations throughout the year from employees who generously donate a specified amount from each paycheck.  These donations are matched 100% by the Resort.  Guests during the 2009/10 winter season were also able to participate in our fundraising efforts through the POW Targhee Two-Fer days – an offer than included two lift tickets and a $10 donation to POW for just $79.

The Foundation’s grant selection committee, open to any interested employee, selects recipients that meet the intent of foundation’s mission - to enhance and protect the environmental quality of Teton Valley through projects that protect ecosystems, promote environmental education and foster community stewardship of natural resources.

The committee selected the following grants for full funding:

-   National Outdoor Leadership School: $2,000 for solar panel installation & education project, will provide 30% of the school’s electricity use

-   Friends of the Teton River: $2,000 for a Valley-wide water conservation education campaign

-   Teton Valley Community Recycling: $750 for creation of a short educational film regarding recycling to show throughout the Valley

-   Teton Valley Community School: $2,000 to provide farm & gardening education to 150 school children this summer

-   Teton Valley Education Foundation: $2,000 for sponsoring public high school student’s conservation expeditions to Yellowstone

-   Teton Valley Trails & Pathways: $1,680 to fund one trail crew person to work in the wilderness improving trails

Targhee is a proud partner with the national Protect Our Winters organization, committed to uniting the winter sports community in fighting climate change.  

Grand Targhee Resort & Alaska Powder Descents Support Protect Our Winters

A big shout out goes to Grand Targhee Resort for their on-going support of Protect Our Winters.  POW’s partnership with GTR focuses on raising contributions throughout the season and distributing them to various community projects throughout the Teton Valley.

Another big shout out goes to Alaska Powder Descents (APD) who has made a generous contribution to POW.  APD runs amazing backcountry trips out of Juneau and among others, have developed packages perfect for riders from the US west coast who only have time for a quick weekend visit.  Thanks to Cedar and everyone at APD for their generous support of POW. 

Check out all of their trips and book one this winter at www.alaskapowder.com

Protect Our Winters Announces Addition of Auden Schendler to Board

Protect Our Winters (POW) is proud to welcome Auden Schendler as the newest member of its Board of Directors. Schendler is the Vice-President of Sustainability at the Aspen Skiing Company and will be a major contributor to POW’s efforts to activate the winter sports community in the fight against climate change.

Previously a research associate in corporate sustainability at Rocky Mountain Institute, Auden has been a trailer insulator, burger flipper, ambulance medic, Outward Bound instructor, high school math and English teacher, freelance writer, and Forest Service goose nest island builder. An avid outdoorsman, Auden has climbed Denali, North America’s highest peak, and kayaked the Grand Canyon in winter. His writing has been published in Harvard Business Review, the L.A. Times, Scientific American and Salon.com, among other places, and his work has been covered in Businessweek, Fast Company, Travel and Leisure, Outside, and other media. Auden was named a global warming innovator by TIME magazine in 2006 and in 2007 he testified to Congress on the impact of climate change on public lands. He lives in Basalt, Colorado with his wife Ellen and their children Willa and Elias.

“Protect Our Winters has momentum. It’s cool. And it’s exactly the right idea: we’re going to solve climate change by mobilizing huge amounts of people who care. And skiers and riders care.” said Auden.

“We’re honored and and excited to have Auden be part of the Protect Our Winters leadership. We need the best and the brightest on our team to help us engage the winter sports community against climate change and without question, Auden is that guy.” said Chris Steinkamp, Executive Director of POW.

POW’s goal of uniting the winter sports community against climate change is reflected in its board membership. Schendler joins Matt McClain, Director of Marketing and Communications for the Surfrider Foundation, Strick Walker, former CMO at 1% For The Planet and currently the Business Development Lead at IDEO and Christina Thomure, Director of Sustainable Operations at Grand Targhee Resort.

Since 2008, Protect our Winters has invested over $150,000 in over 25 community-based grassroots organizations, partnered with The Sierra Club to fight dirty coal and produced “Generations”, in partnership with The North Face and Teton Gravity Research. “Generations” is a short-film about climate change, resulting in over 150,000 downloads and led to the “60 Days” campaign, an online activism effort urging US Senators to support clean energy legislation.

protectourwinters.org

Grand Targhee POW Foundation Awards Local Grants

Grand Targhee Resort is proud to announce the granting of over $10,000 to Teton Valley non-profits for environmental projects benefiting the local community. The Targhee Protect Our Winters (POW) Foundation awarded six local non-profits funds for projects ranging from solar panel installation to gardening education.

The Targhee POW Foundation collects donations throughout the year from employees who generously donate a specified amount from each paycheck. These donations are matched 100% by the Resort. Guests during the 2009/10 winter season were also able to participate in our fundraising efforts through the POW Targhee Two-Fer days – an offer than included two lift tickets and a $10 donation to POW for just $79.

The Foundation’s grant selection committee, open to any interested employee, selects recipients that meet the intent of foundation’s mission - to enhance and protect the environmental quality of Teton Valley through projects that protect ecosystems, promote environmental education and foster community stewardship of natural resources.

The committee selected the following grants for full funding:

- National Outdoor Leadership School: $2,000 for solar panel installation & education project, will provide 30% of the school’s electricity use

- Friends of the Teton River: $2,000 for a Valley-wide water conservation education campaign

- Teton Valley Community Recycling: $750 for creation of a short educational film regarding recycling to show throughout the Valley

- Teton Valley Community School: $2,000 to provide farm & gardening education to 150 school children this summer

- Teton Valley Education Foundation: $2,000 for sponsoring public high school student’s conservation expeditions to Yellowstone

- Teton Valley Trails & Pathways: $1,680 to fund one trail crew person to work in the wilderness improving trails

Grand Targhee Resort is a year round mountain resort situated on the western slope of the Tetons in Alta, Wyoming, accessible only through Teton Valley, Idaho. Tucked among spectacular Teton views and national forest land, Grand Targhee is an intimate summer getaway for adventure-seekers, with miles of lift-accessed hiking and mountain biking trails, renowned music festivals and a variety of summer activities. Our abundance of light powder snow (more than 500 inches annually) and virtual lack of lift lines creates an uncrowded skier and snowboarder paradise, continually recognized for great snow, genuine western hospitality, scenic beauty, excellent value and commitment to sustainability. For more information, please visit their website at www.grandtarghee.com.