Mt. Spokane named fifth worst according to environmental scorecard
Mt. Spokane image courtesy of Washington Trail Organization.
After a long wait, many are ready to hit the slopes but perhaps there's a little more you would like to know about the environmental policies of your favorite resort.
The Ski Area Environmental Scorecard--- an independent assessor, endorsed by such local non-profits as Conservation Northwest and the Lands Council--- was recently updated, featuring the ten best and ten worst resorts in the west. The high scoring locations offer many eco-friendly perks like providing alternative fuel shuttles, recycling programs, and even educating visitors about climate change. That would be Sundance. However, some are simply more cognizant of conservation issues, realizing the potential impact on roadless areas and wildlife.
And the results are surprising. No Washington resort scored well. In fact, we failed. Miserably. Crystal Mountain, White Pass, 49 Degrees North, and, ahem, one of our seven wonders, Mt. Spokane, all scored in the worst ten. Mt. Spokane was specifically faulted for not protecting an endangered species habitat with a proposed expansion that runs through a wildlife corridor, potentially harming lynx and wolverine. Hence the establishment and necessity for Save Mt. Spokane.
Part of the process is providing feedback to the locations and encouraging policies, so we urge readers to check out the scorecard: http://www.skiareacitizens.com/index.php.
Full lists after the jump.
Top Ten
# | Name | Grade |
1 | (A) Aspen Mountain Ski Resort - Colorado | 85.7% |
2 | (A) Buttermilk Mountain Ski Resort - Colorado | 85.2% |
3 | (A) Sundance Resort - Utah | 82.2% |
4 | (A) Park City Mountain Resort - Utah | 79.1% |
5 | (A) Squaw Valley USA - California | 78.3% |
6 | (A) Alpine Meadows Ski Area - California | 77.4% |
7 | (A) Aspen Highlands Ski Resort - Colorado | 76.7% |
8 | (A) Bogus Basin Mountain Resort - Idaho | 74.8% |
9 | (A) Mount Bachelor Ski Area - Oregon | 74.8% |
10 | (A) Telluride Ski Resort - Colorado | 74. |
# | Name | Grade |
1 | (F) Copper Mountain Ski Resort - Colorado | 31.9% |
2 | (F) Sun Valley Resort - Idaho | 34.3% |
3 | (F) Tamarack Resort - Idaho | 35.6% |
4 | (F) Breckenridge Ski Resort - Colorado | 36.1% |
5 | (F) Mt. Spokane Ski and Snowboard Park - Washington | 37.4% |
6 | (F) Arizona Snowbowl - Arizona | 38.6% |
7 | (F) 49 Degrees North Resort - Washington | 39.9% |
8 | (D) White Pass Ski Area - Washington | 41.3% |
9 | (D) Brundage Mountain Resort - Idaho | 41.8% |
10 | (D) Crystal Mountain Ski Area - Washington | 45. |
