Loon Mountain, NH First East Coast Resort to Make SkiGreen Tags Available to Guests

Skiers and snowboarders can reduce environmental impacts of recreational travel by adding a SkiGreen Tag to their lift ticket purchase

Lincoln, N.H. - New Hampshire's Loon Mountain is pleased to announce it is the first mountain ski resort in the eastern United States to partner with the Bonneville Environmental Foundation (BEF) to make SkiGreen Tags available to skiers and snowboarders.

SkiGreen Tags are a solution for skiers and snowboarders who wish to reduce the associated environmental impacts of their recreational activities, such as the greenhouse gas emissions caused by driving a vehicle to the mountain.

Each SkiGreen Tag represents 100-kilowatt hours of wind energy and offsets 140 pounds of global warming pollution, or approximately the equivalent of driving 150 miles in a vehicle that gets 21 MPG.

Tags are sold for $2 each, and can be purchased at the same time a lift ticket is purchased. Proceeds from the sale of SkiGreen Tags support renewable energy through BEF on behalf of the tag purchaser.

The Bonneville Environmental Foundation ( www.b-e-f.org ) is a national non-profit public benefit organization founded in 1998 to support watershed restoration programs and develop new sources of renewable energy.

BEF began the Green Tags program in 2000 to recognize demand for green energy in locations where it is not available, and to support the development of additional renewable energy resources.

Since its inception, BEF has developed programs to help offset impacts from travel, homes, buildings, events and more. The specific 'Ski Green' program started in 2002 and is endorsed by the National Ski Areas Association.

The SkiGreen program is one more facet of Loon Mountain's commitment to sustaining the slopes for generations to come. This winter, Loon began a recycling program in the base lodges so guests can recycle plastic, glass and aluminum. Reusable dishware and silverware is also being used to further reduce the waste stream.

In addition, glass and aluminum recycling is available all around the resort. To date, Loon has spent over $50,000 to implement its sustainability program and will continue to expand environmentally friendly efforts around the resort.

Loon Mountain's environmental programs for the 2007-08 include:

• Energy efficiency through conversion to compact fluorescent light bulbs.

•  Installation of energy-efficient doors and windows in base lodges and administration offices.

•  Anti-idling policy for company vehicles and guest education signage

•  Snowmaking system upgrades including the purchase of new super-efficient "Boyne Low-E" fan guns.

•  Grooming fleet and other mountain vehicles fueled by a 10 percent biodiesel mix.

•  Recycling cardboard, steel, kitchen grease and more than 300 gallons of waste oil each season.

•  Use of recycled paper products and biodegradable cold cups.

•  Use of environmentally-friendly cleaning products.

To find our more about Loon Mountain's green efforts visit www.loonmtn.com. To find out more information about SkiGreen Tags, visit www.skigreen.org or www.GreenTagsUSA.org.

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