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Environmental Goals and Efforts

2007-2008 Season
Alta Ski Area is dedicated to sustainable environmental practices - learning from the past, being guided by best-management practices now, and leading with innovation and research in the future.

Alta's original Environmental report from 2003-2004 is available for download.

    Below are some of our more recent efforts.

  • Alta is commited to addressing global warming.
  • We recently expanded our recycling efforts to include collection containers for aluminum and plastic at all lifts, restaurants and buildings.
  • We recently published the second phase of our Vegetation Management Plan that guides us in maintaining and conserving local native plant and forest communities while meeting the sustainability goals for the ski area.
  • In the last 16 years, we have planted 17,900 native trees and shrubs with a 70%-80% survival rate; 1400 of those were purchased and planted in 2006.
  • Alta has continued with native seed harvesting and planting as part of re-vegetation efforts in disturbed areas.
  • Alta has continued efforts in all areas to eradicate invasive species.
  • This year we saved native vegetation plugs and set up a nursery with drip irrigation for the revegetation on the Crooked Mile snowmaking project.
  • We continue to work with National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) and its Sustainable Slopes and Keep Winter Cool programs. Keep Winter Cool is a partnership between NRDC (Natural Resources Defense Council) and the National Ski Areas Association to raise visibility and public understanding of global warming and spotlight opportunities to start fixing the problem.
  • Alta Ski Area is a Visionary Partner with Rocky Mountain Power through the Blue Sky program. Our choice to participate in clean, renewable wind power is our promise to purchase 900,000 kilowatt-hours(kWh) for the next 12-month period, offsetting over 23% of Alta's energy consumption.
  • Alta is also working with Clif Bar and the Ski Green program from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation to make our Sugarloaf Lift a Green Lift. Clif Bar, an energy bar company who is dedicated to restoring and sustaining our environment, and who supports others who do so, will work with us in purchasing renewable energy certificates through Ski Green. Offsetting the energy used to run this lift translates into another 11% of Alta's energy consumptions covered by renewable energy, bringing the total to 34%.
  • Alta Ski Area is the first and only ski area honored by Salt Lake City's environmental e2 program that recognizes businesses for their efforts to reduce energy consumption and greenhouse gas emissions.
  • We continue to challenge our managers, employees and skiers to come up with new ideas to be more energy efficient.
  • Alta is working with the Utah Society for Environmental Education to develop sustainable programs.
  • Continue working towards ways to promote research, sustainable use and education of the Little Cottonwood Canyon Ecosystem.
  • Alta completed an energy audit with Rocky Mountain Power in 2005, and has started implementing changes. Some of these changes include switching to fluorescent light bulbs and using radiant heat and timers in lift terminals.
  • Last year, we replaced the Watson Shelter mid-mountain restaurant with an efficient, sustainable, high-performance building. We will continue to pursue green building ideas for new facilities.
  • The new Watson Shelter was built on a previously disturbed site and the old location was revegetated with a native seed mix. The new facility maximizes recycling and re-use. Local building materials were used that included previously excavated stone from Alta. This approach helped limit transportation energy use. A non-chemical, UV domestic water sterilization system eliminates use of harmful chemicals.
  • The six waterless urinals installed have savings of 40,000 gallons per year per unit.
  • No chemical compounds, including residual salt or sulfides, are used for melting ice and snow around the building.
  • Where daylight cannot be maximized, T28 energy efficient fluorescent bulbs with occupancy sensors are used.
  • Energy efficient windows in the building have Low E glass, double thermal break frames, argon gas filled panes and a U-factor of 0.28.
  • High-efficiency boilers maintain a 90% efficiency rating with 25% savings in fuel and emissions.
  • A computer-controlled heating and ventilation system, with direct digital automatic temperature controls, reduces energy consumption.
  • This summer we remodelled the bathrooms in the Albion Day Lodge and replaced fixtures with low flow toilets, waterless urinals and automatic faucets on sinks.
  • We are in the process of replacing the 20-year-old heating system in the vehicle maintenance shop with a 25% more energy efficient radiant heating system. We are also replacing the lighting system in the shop with fluorescent bulbs that cut lighting energy consumption in half.
  • We continue to work with snowmobile manufactures on the refinement of reliable and clean 2 and 4 stroke snowmobiles.
  • Public Transportation Efforts: Since 1988, Alta has participated in a Utah Transit Authority (UTA) program to bus skiers to Alta from Salt Lake City. Alta, in part with cooperative effort of UTA, has purchased buses for Little Cottonwood Canyon, built four Park and Ride lots, and has promoted ski bus ridership. Every season pass issued by Alta includes free bus service.
  • Alta participates in extensive litter pick-up efforts with all departments, and in conjunction with the Town of Alta.
 
The 2003-2004 Environmental Report, Alta Ski Area’s 1st, shows the strong record of accomplishments and enduring efforts we have made during the last two decades to remedy past environmental impacts and to integrate sustainable, sensible, environmental practices into our everyday operations. With the end of the silver-mining boom in the early 1900s, Little Cottonwood Canyon was left with virtually no timber, wide-spread mine debris, and minimal vegetation because of erosion and sheep grazing.
Alta’s Environmental Report chronicles occurrences of environmental significance of the last 100 years and Alta’s ongoing efforts to protect and revitalize its unique ecosystem, while providing recreational experiences for several hundred thousand annual winter and summer visitors.