CLIF BAR recognized Jiminy Peak with the 2008 Golden Eagle Award for Overall Environmental Excellence by a ski resort. The award hails Massachusetts-based Jiminy Peak for installing a wind turbine – a first for a mountain resort in North America – which provides nearly half of the ski area’s total electricity needs.


CLIF BAR also awarded seven Silver Eagle awards to ski resorts in California, Colorado, Utah, West Virginia and Wyoming. The 2008 Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence were announced yesterday during the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) National Convention and Tradeshow.


“We’re pleased to be part of the ski industry’s efforts to help save our snow, which is seriously threatened by global climate change,” said Ricardo Balazs, sports marketing experience manager for Clif Bar & Company. “We hope the work of these forward-thinking resorts will inspire others to protect the places where we play.”


Established in 1993, the Golden Eagle Awards for Environmental Excellence recognize the environmental achievements of ski areas. The awards honor members of the NSAA, which represents the majority of ski area owners and operators in North America. Clif Bar, which employs wind energy, biodiesel, waste reduction and other initiatives to reduce its own footprint on the planet, is the administrator of the awards program.


This year’s award winners were recognized for excellence in the following areas:


Golden Eagle, Overall Environmental Excellence: Jiminy Peak (Massachusetts)
 
Jiminy Peak became North America's first mountain resort to install a wind turbine, generating 45-50 percent of its total electricity needs. Jiminy's tenacity and commitment to sustainability helped overcome many hurdles faced in the process of purchasing and installing the $4 million, 1.5 megawatt turbine. The resort has set a high bar for the ski industry and paved the way for others to follow suit. 
Finalists for this award: Arapahoe Basin (Colorado), Grand Targhee Resort (Wyoming)
 
  
Silver Eagle, Water Conservation: Vail Resorts (Colorado)
 
Finalists: Arapahoe Basin (Colorado), Homewood Mountain Resort (California)
 
  
Silver Eagle, Energy Conservation/Clean Energy: Park City Mountain Resort (Utah)
 
Finalists: Okemo Mountain Resort (Vermont), Whistler Blackcomb (BC, Canada)
 
  
Silver Eagle, Fish & Wildlife Habitat Protection: Snowshoe Mountain Resort (West Virginia)
 
Finalists: Stratton Mountain Resort (Vermont), Vail Resorts (Colorado)
 
  
Silver Eagle, Environmental Education: Aspen Skiing Company (Colorado)
 
Finalists: Grand Targhee Resort (Wyoming), Telluride Ski Resort (Colorado)
 
  
Silver Eagle, Visual Impact: Arapahoe Basin (Colorado)
 
Finalists: Stevens Pass (Washington), Winter Park (Colorado)
 
  
Silver Eagle, Stakeholder Relations: Mammoth Mountain Ski Area (California)
 
Finalists: Copper Mountain (Colorado), Whistler Blackcomb (BC, Canada)
 
  
Silver Eagle, Waste Reduction & Recycling: Grand Targhee Resort (Wyoming)
 
Finalists: Gore Mountain (New York), Whistler Blackcomb (BC, Canada)


Judges for this year’s awards include: Michael Berry, NSAA president; Jon Steelman, National Resources Defense Council; Jim Bedwell, U.S. Forest Service; Hank Cauley, The Pew Charitable Trusts; Kirk Mills, Colorado Department of Public Health & Environment; David Jaber, Natural Logic and Elysa Hammond, ecologist, Clif Bar & Company.