Spruce Peak at Stowe Mountain Resort in Vermont has earned the Sustainable Community Certification from Audubon International, a non-profit environmental organisation, becoming the first ski resort in the U.S. to merit this environmental achievement.

Members of Audubon International’s Sustainable Communities Program are eligible for certification, which recognizes dedication to the process of becoming a more sustainable community and beginning to act on a sustainability plan. The plan covers 15 focus areas, and members must choose timelines and measurable goals. Once progress is documented, members become certified.

“As the first Private Sector Track member to receive the certification, Stowe Mountain Resort has demonstrated a strong commitment to the ideals of sustainability – economic vitality, environmental protection, and social responsibility,” says Suzi Zakowski, Manager of the Sustainable Communities Program. “The strong environmental commitment is to evident employees, guests and the surrounding community.” 

“The Spruce Peak at Stowe project is the result of many years of collaborative planning and coordination with many varied interests, including all of Vermont’s major environmental organizations,” said Robert Apple, the resort’s Planning Manager.

Stowe Mountain Resort’s accomplishments include supporting local farmers and community supported agriculture in food operations resort wide and the local economy by reducing reliance on food that increases the carbon footprint of the resort by using local products whenever possible. To date, 83% of vendors provide 100% locally produced agricultural, artisanal and other similar products that are produced locally.  

Through a pair of conservation easements donated to the Vermont Land Trust and the Vermont Department of Fish and Wildlife, over 2,000 acres of wildlife habitat has been permanently protected.  Those protected lands include 10 acres of summit ski terrain on Spruce Peak that have been restored to their natural state, providing crucial habitat for the Bicknell’s Thrush, and dense forests adjacent to the base village that provide nesting sites for Peregrine falcons, and habitat for moose and black bear.

Spruce Peak’s mountain cabins have been built to the maximum 5-star rating of the EPA’s Home Energy Rating System.  Each cabin is expected to save $3,500 per year through extensive energy efficiencies. All future buildings are being designed to exceed Vermont’s stringent commercial construction energy guidelines.

The resort has seen annual improvements in the water quality of its streams and conducts quarterly monitoring of selected stream segments. Current storm water runoff from the development area is collected, stored, and reused for snowmaking. The mountain trail system is managed under management plan directed at improving the hydrologic characteristics of the trail system.

Since 2000, Stowe has installed energy efficiency improvements that are resulting in annual electrical use savings of 8,033,645 kW per year, or enough power to support 715 homes annually.

In a commitment to address transportation impacts in the Stowe Valley, Spruce Peak and Stowe Mountain Resort contributed $40,000 for the operation of the municipal public Mountain Road Trolley system which experienced a 7% increase in ridership in 2009.  The construction of a new transfer gondola between the Spruce Peak and the Mount Mansfield base area has eliminated the need for a fleet of diesel buses to shuttle skiers between the two locations and a new employee ride share program that enables employees to park in lots located at the base of the mountain if they travel with 3 or more individuals.