ENVIRONMENT

The Summit Named Best Workplace for Recycling

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Environmental Programs In Effect At The Summit

Recycling At Base Areas
Cardboard, paper, plastics, aluminum and glass are collected at all base areas and then transported to the recycling center on Snoqualmie Pass. The Summit helped instigate and continues to manage the King County Snoqualmie Pass Recycling Center located at the fire station.

Recycling At Vehicle Maintenance Shops
The oil from vehicles is collected and burned to help heat the maintenance shops. All anti-freeze from vehicles is recycled to a safe off-site location and parts are cleaned in safety-clean solvents.

Renewable Energy
The Summit partners with Bonneville Environment Foundation in providing mini green tags to guests. In addition to matching every dollar a guest spends on green tags, The Summit ran their entire operation on renewable energy during Sustainable Slopes Day (Feb. 23, 2008). In preparation for the upcoming 2008-2009 winter season, The Summit has purchased 155 green tags to help offset their carbon footprint. The total purchase is approximately equivalent to preventing 116.25 tons of greenhouse gas emissions, planting approximately 31 acres of trees in a year or parking a car so it is not driven for almost 22 years or 281,653 miles! The Summit also partners with Climate Solutions in efforts to reduce carbon dioxide emissions from our state's automobiles.

Carpooling
The Summit encourages guests and employees to carpool. The Summit has preferred parking areas for carpoolers and has joined the Commuter Benefits Plus Program through King County. Through this program, The Summit purchased a large quantity of vouchers redeemable at Union 76 stations, REI, Brown Bear Car Wash, FlexCar and AAA. These vouchers are used as prizes for employees who carpool. In addition, The Summit participates with the following programs:

AlterNetRides 
As one of The Summit's efforts to be environmentally conscious, we have linked up with AlterNetRides.com a voluntary rideshare program, to help you find someone to share a ride with to the slopes. Please note: while we are pleased to make you aware of this resource, The Summit is not responsible in any way with your use of the AlterNetRides.com program. You are responsible for your own safety.

FlexCar
FlexCar allows you to use a car or truck to drive up to go skiing or snowboarding.

RideShare
RideShare helps pair you up with people who are going to the same place or same direction.

Internal Resort Shuttles
The Summit provides free shuttle rides to all guests and employees between the different base areas. These buses run continuous loops and alleviate the number of moving vehicles and amount of vehicle emissions around the mountain.

Vegetation Management
The Summit has implemented a Reforesting Plan that adds native trees throughout the area. This program kicked off three years ago by planting twelve large silver fir and mountain hemlocks above the terrain park at Summit West. Over time, this program will add approximately eleven acres of forest to the ski area. Mulching and seeding is also installed on most trails during the off-season to maintain healthy soil.

Erosion Control & Restoration
All construction projects are completed using Best Management Practices (BMPs) to control erosion and sedimentation. In addition to BMPs during construction, new sediment retention pools were added with the installation of the Armstrong & Central Express chairlifts. These pools filter sediment from runoff water while also regulating the rate of water entering the downhill streams.

Habitat Preservation
The Summit's planning decisions are based on extensive habitat studies for all local plants and animals. In addition to preserving habitat for threatened or endangered species, extra stress is placed on maintaining migratory paths. The Summit supports the I-90 Wildlife Bridges Coalition which advocates wildlife connectivity for the upgrade to I-90 between Snoqualmie Pass and Easton.

Energy Efficiency
Running one of the largest night skiing operations in the country, The Summit is conscientious of the energy required to provide trail lighting. To preserve energy, all on-hill lighting consists of efficient high-pressure sodium lamps.

Water Conservation
All lodges are equipped with low flush toilets resulting in 20% savings in water consumption. The Tubing Center has water-free urinals reducing water demands and sewer impacts.

Waste Conservation
The Summit provides toilet facilities at the Nesting Bird Yurt and Jim Brooks Hut to preserve the environment from human waste. Vaults for these toilets are hauled off the trails each week and pumped into trucks to be exported to treatment sites.

Paper Towel Conservation
The Summit has installed sensor-activated paper towel dispensers in all bathroom facilities. With these new devices, guests run their hand in front of the sensor for a single paper towel to be dispensed rather than grabbing a large clump of towels.

The Surfrider Foundation's Snowrider Project
Keeping with our environmental mission, The Summit has teamed up with the Seattle Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation to implement the Snowrider Project.

Beginning in 1995, the Surfrider Foundation decided to bring their grassroots approach to environmental conservation to the mountains through the development of the Snowrider Project. With a positive hands-on philosophy, the Snowrider Project is protecting watersheds fed with mountain snow runoff through conservation, activism, research and education.

The Seattle Chapter of the Surfrider Foundation, initially focused on Puget Sound water and shoreline quality issues, is now beginning to focus their attention higher up in the watershed. For more information or to find out how to get involved come visit them on one of their many days here at The Summit. You can also visit Seattle Surfrider's web site at www.surfrider.org/seattle/.

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Carpooling Privileges - Share the gas, share the experience, get a good parking spot, save money and save the environment!

Special privileges for carpooling start on January 5th and 6th at Summit West. Vehicles with 3 or more people will enjoy complimentary parking in the lot behind The Summit Learning Center near the base of Little Thunder. Non-carpool vehicles wishing to park in this lot will be assessed a $10 per car fee.

Alpental's main lot (the lot with direct footbridge access) will become a "carpool only" lot on Saturdays and Sundays, beginning on January 12th and 13th. Only vehicles with 3 or more people will be allowed to park in the main lot.

All carpooling restrictions end on February 11th. By working together, we can reduce harmful emissions and help preserve our favorite form of recreation!

In 2006, our non-carpool parking fees collected at Alpental were used to purchase Mini-Green Tags from the Bonneville Environmental Foundation. This green tag purchase is equivalent to purchasing 175,000 kilowat hours of green energy production, and offsets 245,000 pounds of greenhouse gas emissions. In simple terms, that is enough energy to power 17 homes for an entire year and is the greenhouse gas reduction equivalent of not driving 24 cars for an entire year (or planting 33 acres of trees)! What are Mini-Green Tags?  Click here to find out more...

Environmental Mission Statement:

Ski areas across North America provide a quality outdoor recreation experience in a manner that complements the natural and aesthetic qualities that draw all of us to the mountains. We cherish the outdoors and respect the alpine environment in which we live and work. We are committed to improving environmental performance in all aspects of our operations and managing our areas to allow for their continued enjoyment by future generations.

Environmental Vision Statement:

To be leaders among outdoor recreation providers through managing our businesses in a way that demonstrates our commitment to environmental protection and stewardship while meeting the expectations of the public.

Environmental Code Of The Slopes:

In doing our part to promoting environmental awareness, we at the Summit suggest what skiers, snowboarders and ski area guests can do to help protect and support the environment:

Follow the leave No Trace Principles of outdoor ethics when visiting ski areas:

• Plan ahead and prepare: Know the regulations and special concerns for the area you’ll visit, prepare for winter weather, and consider off-peak visits when scheduling your trip.
• Dispose of waste properly: Reuse trail maps on your next visit or recycle them rather than throwing them away. Never throw trash, cigarette butts or other items from the lifts.
• Respect wildlife:Observe trail closures, seasonal closures, and ski area boundaries. These closures are in place not only for your safety, but the well being of plants and animals located in sensitive areas. In summer, stick to designated trails when hiking and biking to avoid disturbances to vegetation and wildlife.
• Be considerate of other guests: Respect other guests, protect the quality of their experience, and let nature’s sounds prevail.

Carpool with friends and family or use transit to avoid traffic when traveling to and within the the ski area.

Take advantage of environmental awareness offered at ski areas to learn more about the surrounding environment and how to help protect it.

If you have kids, get them involved in environmental and alpine education programs at a young age.

Support "clean up days" or other environmental programs at your local ski area.

Provide feedback and let ski areas know how they can improve their environmental performance.

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Environmental Partners:

USFS, Surfrider Foundation's Snowrider Project, Brown Bear Car Wash, Mountains To Sound Greenway, Bonneville Environmental Foundation, Climate Solutions and the Sierra Club.

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Learn what global warming means for you, and how you can help stop it. Visit www.keepwintercool.org for more information.