Over two million winter skiers left behind compacted powder and environmental impacts when they left the alpine slopes of New Hampshire in the 2006-2007 season. Wastes from tourists, air pollution generated from vehicle travel, energy to heat lodges to warm and toasty temperatures, and greenhouse gas emissions from all of the above, impact the serene and pristine New Hampshire ski areas.

To rid the slopes of these environmental impacts, the state’s Department of Environmental Services Pollution Prevention Program (NHPPP), the National Ski Areas Association, Ski New Hampshire and other state agencies are launching a program to green the slopes. The NH Green Slopes campaign is providing ski resorts with strategies and advice on technologies that reduce impacts large and small. First, environmental impacts are assessed and measured for each ski park. Once impacts are identified, the NHPPP conducts workshops to educate ski facilities about ways to minimize impacts by using new, cleaner technology or by reducing wastes.

Green techniques ski facilities being implemented include switching their operational fleets to biodiesel, powering some lodges with biodiesel, limiting vehicle idling, powering lighting with energy efficient products, recycling programs that educate visitors and employees, and purchasing carbon offsets as well as operating programs for visitors to purchase offsets.

As climate change shortens winters, the ski season has been affected by lack of snow, excess ice due to melting; refreezing and poor air conditions; providing even more challenges to the ski industry (NHPPP). The NH Green Slopes programs looks to not only mitigate additional impacts that contribute to climate change, but also manage slopes in a more sustainable way that mitigate impacts felt by climate change conditions.

For example, many slopes use high pressurized guns that run on fossil fuels to create snow powder for the slopes. Since winters will be shorted and less precipitation may result, more snow will need to be generated by the ski facilities. Moving these machines to biodiesel provides ski venues with a sustainable way to continue to offset a decreased season and meet environmental impact reduction goals.

NH ski areas that are participating in the NH Green Slopes programs include: Arrowhead Ski Area, Claremont; Attitash; Balsams; Bretton Woods Ski Area; Cannon Mountain, Franconia; Cranmore; Crotched Mountain; Granite Gorge; Gunstock Mountain, Gilford; Loon Mountain; King Pine and Purity Spring Resort; Newbury’s Mount Sunapee; Pats Peak, Henniker; Danbury’s Ragged Mountain; and Waterville Valley Resort.