Bretton Woods, NH (Tuesday, May 6, 2003) - Pierce Rigrod, of the New Hampshire Department of Environmental Services recently presented Bretton Woods Mountain Resort with the 2003 New Hampshire Travel Council Sustainable Business Award. Bretton Woods Operations Director Chris Ellms accepted the award at the New Hampshire Governor's Travel Council Conference luncheon, at The Mount Washington Hotel, attended by Governor Craig Benson.

"Being environmentally conscious is not only good for the environment, it's also good for business," said Ellms. "The receipt of this award is not the end, but the beginning of a successful program to help preserve our natural resources."

Bretton Woods Mountain Resort's continued commitment to the proper stewardship of the environment through independent programs and the observance of principles established by the National Ski Areas Association's Sustainable Slopes Environmental Charter has stimulated environmentally conscious practices as part of the resort's operations, including the education and involvement of guests and employees.

Reduce, Reuse, Recycle
A comprehensive recycling program at Bretton Woods is allowing a large portion of the waste generated by the ski area to be reduced, reused, and recycled. This program also includes the purchasing of more post consumer waste products for guest use and for administrative needs. In its first year, the recycling program reduced solid waste output by 45 percent. Now in its second year of recycling, Bretton Woods has witnessed increased participation and enthusiasm by guests and employees throughout the resort, not just at the ski area. Overall waste production has decreased by three percent compared to last year, while the gross amount of recycled product has increased by 10 percent. During the 2002-2003 ski season, 30 percentt of the 84 tons of solid waste is being recycled. Although there is no substantial monetary value to the ski area, Bretton Woods' program has saved the town of Carroll from having to dispose of 11 tons of glass bottles, 8.5 tons of corrugated cardboard, 6.5 tons of plastic bottles, 2.5 tons of office paper and another 1.5 tons of miscellaneous recyclable material. Future plans include improved storage and sorting of recycled products, as well as the addition of more recycling stations throughout the ski area.

Building a Greener Base Lodge
With the completion of the first phase of the Bretton Woods Base Lodge expansion, great strides in improving the efficiency of the building are being acheived. Thirty-year old forced hot air furnaces have been replaced with new forced hot water systems, a roof-top make up air system, and a highly efficient array of component heaters, throughout the building, which are controlled by a series of timers and thermostats for more efficiency.

More than half of the walls and roof systems have been replaced or renovated to improve the overall insulating properties of the building. Forty percent of the windows have been replaced with new "Low E" windows. Several windows have been added to the south side of the building to improve natural light and warmth. The R-factor in the new structure is expected to be improved by 75 percent, resulting in a savings of tens of thousands of dollars per season. Currently, 60 percent of the light fixtures in the building have been replaced or retrofitted to use more efficient fluorescent light bulbs. Ultimately, this number is expected to jump to 80 percent. Public Service of NH has recognized the ski area's move to more efficient lighting with a rebate of $408.10 and the ski area is working with PSNH for additional rebates upon installation of new lighting in the expansion area. With the addition of new sewer pumps, wastewater is now being directed to a new efficient wastewater treatment plant, instead of an outdated and inefficient
series of holding tanks and leach fields. Throughout the base lodge project, many items have been reused, including several heavy timbers, interior doors, light fixtures, plumbing fixtures, and kitchen equipment.

In Phases 2 and 3, slated for completion in time for opening day next winter, continued improvement to the efficiency of the building will be accomplished through the replacement of remaining windows, upgrading more light fixtures, replacing bathroom facilities with water conserving fixtures, adding more insulation and creating airlock vestibules at all entrances.

Preserving Natural Resources
Sixty new HKD snowmaking tower guns and ten miles of new snowmaking pipe increased the ample cover for Bretton Woods' earliest season opening in November 2002. Each of the tall HKD tower guns is capable of blanketing a half-acre of slope overnight with tremendous efficiency. Whereas traditional snowmaking guns use a ratio of seven parts of compressed air to one-part water, the HKD guns use a ratio of one-to-one. In recognition of the addition of efficient snowmaking guns, PSNH recently awarded Bretton Woods with a rebate of $33,000. The new guns are expected to save 350,000 kilowatts of electricity each year.

Preliminary permits are in place for the development of a new five-acre, spring-fed lake at the base of Bretton Woods. In addition to serving as a water source for snowmaking, the lake will be designed primarily as a wildlife habitat and summer recreation site. Lake Carolyn will offer open water, marsh areas, emergent wetlands, and riparian buffers for natural filtration and gravel bars for trout-spawning habitat.

Conscientious forestry and vegetative practices are paramount at Bretton Woods, say resort staff, and this year's further development of Mount Rosebrook is no exception. In the off season, crews remove dead and diseased trees to promote healthy forests and public safety. The careful siting and trail design of Rosebrook Canyon Glades and new terrain from the summit of Mount Rosebrook ensures abundant wildlife habitat and food sources. Instead of clear-cutting all trails, many of Bretton Woods' glades are simply the result of the removal of weak and dead trees, leaving a healthy stand that offers challenge and diversity to skiers and riders.

Lower Emissions
Continuing this year, a complimentary resort-wide shuttle offers guests an opportunity to lower pollution emissions levels and parking demands of single-vehicle use. In addition, the proactive on-site maintenance of all resort vehicles and mechanical equipment ensures efficient use of natural resources, a reduction of pollution emissions and prevention of hazardous spills. On a busy weekend day, over 3,000 shuttle riders account for a portion of the more than 100,000 shuttle riders that travel the resort per winter season. Further incentives to save on fuel consumption and limit emissions is the Bretton Woods annual "Sustainable Slopes Day", a rewards program for skiers and snowboarders who carpool to Bretton Woods. For every car with five or more passengers, each passenger receives a two-for-one midweek lift ticket voucher, valid for use during the remainder of the ski season.