RESORT PROFILE
Looking to the Future
In May 2017, Mt. Ashland became the
first STOKE Certified ski area in the
country. Towle said, “Stoke is a sus-tainability
management system, and
with Stoke, it isn’t just the environ-mental
piece. It includes more than
150 quantifiable measures and 300
indicators of sustainability specifically
designed for the ski and snowboard
tourism sector. Stoke-certified ski
areas have developed comprehensive
sustainability management plans that
ensure they are protecting the areas
you love to ride and the people that
live there.”
The Mt. Ashland Ski Area had already
been fulfilling these criteria for many
years in its support of local businesses
and involvement in local cultural activ-ities
and community events, effective
disposal of liquid and solid waste, using
available renewable energy sources
whenever possible to reduce the car-bon
footprint and enforcing proper
mountain safety without compromising
riding creativity and progression. A
comprehensive Stoke sustainable man-agement
plan gave further direction in
leveraging even more sustainable prac-tices
into the life and operation of the
ski area.
“Under the Stoke model, we have
implemented a carbon-reducing free
shuttle service, installed a 28 kilowatt
solar system that offsets 12 percent of
our electric use along with a myriad of
efficiency projects,” said Towle. “For
example, LED lighting in our vehicle
shop alone will save 8,000 kilowatt
hours per year.”
In addition, Towle notes that the ski
area purchases many local goods and
services and hosts several community
events including the annual Snow
Blessing Ceremony that brings Indig-enous
people and folks from a half
dozen religions together to celebrate
the life-giving water that the snowfall
releases to the pristine watershed of
the Rogue River.
From the beginning, Mt. Ashland
has been at the mercy of Mother
Nature when it comes to snowfall –
more so than many other ski areas as
there is no adequate water source to
support snowmaking. As a result of
regular drought cycles, and the impact
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