Ski Areas Take Action to Combat Climate Change

Resorts Optimistic About Future with Strongest 10-Year Period on Record

LAKEWOOD, Colo. December 6, 2012 Today the National Ski Areas Association
(NSAA) announced that resorts nationwide are taking meaningful steps toward
combating climate change. Ski areas are reducing their greenhouse gas emissions
through significant investments in energy efficiency and renewable energy including
wind, solar, geothermal, micro-hydro and other sources.
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issue over a decade ago,
Berry says that ski area owners and operators are well aware of the scientific
studies and projections regarding the long term potential impacts of climate change,
and adds that the industry remains optimistic about the future. Over the course of the
past 10 seasons, ski areas have enjoyed the best 10-year average on record, with 57.5
million skier and snowboarder visits on average nationally. In fact, in each season the
10-year average for visits has been on the upswing, and revenues have steadily
increased as well.
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always been a factor in our business. With help from Mother Nature and significant
Contact: Troy Hawks
NSAA Communications
720-963-4215
thawks@nsaa.org


FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE


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investments in state-of-the-art and efficient snowmaking, we are as excited as our
guests to see a new season underway.
The ski industry adopted its Climate Change policy in 2002 that includes a three-
pronged strategy in fighting climate change: reduce, educate, and advocate. Moreover,
ski areas have been weighing in on energy and climate legislation in Washington for
more than a decade. In just the past year, ski areas sent three important energy and
climate change advocacy letters to Washington. In March, 81 ski areas endorsed Senator
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uS L A ant
Carbon Emissions Standard. Finally, in July, 99 ski areas sent a letter of support to
Senate leadership urging the extension of the Wind Energy Production Tax Credit.
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program two years ago, through which participating resorts inventory their green house
gas emissions, set targets for reduction, and take action to reduce their carbon
footprint. In addition, ski areas across the country are using green building techniques,
retrofitting existing structures to be more efficient, investing heavily in efficient
snowmaking systems, buying green power for their operations, using alternative fuels,
and providing or promoting carpooling or mass transit by guests and employees.

For more information on the actions U.S. ski areas are taking toward combating Climate
Change, visit the Environment section of www.nsaa.org.











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Keep Winter Cool Campaign

Ski areas have raised awareness of climate change among skiing and snowboarding
guests and the general public by k W C
enlisting the help of Olympic athletes to spread the word. Ski areas encourage guests to
do their part in addressing climate change, by taking a number of actions including:

Buying the least-polluting, most efficient vehicle that meets your needs
Reducing needless automobile idling
Removing roof-mounted sporting equipment carriers from vehicles and replacing
studded snow tires with regular tires at the end of the season to improve overall
gas mileage
Carpooling or taking public transit or shuttles in order to reduce emissions
Purchasing energy-efficient household appliances
Replacing incandescent light bulbs with more efficient light bulbs
Buying green energy for their home to support the addition of clean power to
the nation's energy grid
Contacting elected representatives and asking them to do more to support
renewable energy, curb CO
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emissions and keep winter cool for skiing and
snowboarding














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