We in Sun Valley have always loved where we live. After all, it’s the stunning natural beauty of this place that makes it special. That’s why we are committed to going about our business in an environmentally friendly and sustainable way. We consider ourselves stewards of this area, and these are some of the recent ways we’ve gone about that:
* We’ve recently revamped our laundry facilities to save 75 percent more water than a standard laundry facility, which in turn reduces our use of soap and washing chemicals.
* We’ve partnered with the U.S. Forest Service and the Ketchum Ranger District to protect Bald Mountain trees from Douglas fir bark beetle attacks.
* Our recycling program has vastly expanded, with the percentage of waste recycled growing every year.
* Adoption of a composting program has resulted in 125.6 tons of kitchen and lawn waste composted.
* 91,182 kilowatt-hours are being saved annually through lighting retrofits in four of our largest maintenance facilities. An additional 691,003 kilowatt-hours in annual savings are close behind.
* We partner with the National Forest Foundation in the Ski Conservation Fund, a program designed to raise money for the care of surrounding national forest lands.
So it’s no surprise that Sun Valley received an “A” for its environmental stewardship by the Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition. The resort was rated in nearly 40 environmental criteria, including protecting habitat, preserving environmentally sensitive areas, protecting watersheds, conserving water, addressing global climate change, renewable energy, transportation, environmental policies and policy positions, waste stream management, purchasing, and environmental reporting and accountability.
And every day we’re looking to do more.
Bald Mountain Fuels Reduction and Thinning Project
USDA Forest Service, Sawtooth National Forest and the USDI Bureau of Land Management, Twin Falls District has authority over the 3,332 acre Bald Mtn. Ski area, also known as Sun Valley ski resort.
Forest stands within the Bald Mountain Special Use permit area have been identified for management using various tools and methods.
The project taking place on Bald Mtn. will reduce insect and disease infestation, improve forest health and growing conditions, enhance tree species diversity and reduce fuel loading from dead and dying trees.
This project is being implemented as a partnership between the Ketchum Ranger District and Sun Valley Company.
Resources being used in the project are being funded jointly and oversight of the project is being done by the Ketchum Ranger District and Sun Valley Company using their mountain operations staff to complete the work.
182 acres of timbered stands within the Bald Mountain Special Use Permit will be treated over a 3-5 year period.
The proposed treatments would protect the scenic resource, enhance the forest resource and provide improved glade skiing opportunities by creating open grown park like stand conditions.
The outcome will be long term forest health that will offer favorable growing conditions to enhance large tree growth.
Fuels Reduction projects will also aid in reducing the potential for wildfire on Bald Mountain that could damage ski lifts and other facilities within the ski area.
Best Management Practices will reduce the impacts to soil, wildlife and healthy vegetation.
The History and Drama of the Fabled Warm Springs Lodge
By Karen Bossick
Scotty McGrew likens the Warm Springs scene at Sun Valley to Maui’s North Shore.
“It has a lot of character, a strong local presence. And it’s fun to watch everything that happens there,” said McGrew, who grew up ski racing on the Warm Springs side of Bald Mountain. He now oversees hundreds of youngsters who train in that area with the Sun Valley Ski Education Foundation.
Indeed, the relentless pitch of the Greyhawk race course kicked the butt of America’s best skiers...
