Eco group grades Whitefish Resort a 'C'

Whitefish Mountain Resort received a "C" grade from an environmental watchdog group in regards to the resort's ecological impact — the third consecutive year the resort has received such a score from the group.

The Ski Area Citizens Coalition grades western U.S. ski resorts on their environmental policies and practices using a point system of individual criterion that is based on a survey sent to each resort and pubic information. They are endorsed by a number of environmental groups, including The Wilderness Society and The Greater Yellowstone Coalition.

Whitefish Mountain Resort did not respond to the survey this year, which may have negatively affected their score.

"If a ski area doesn't respond (to the survey), we can only grade on the information made available to us," Megan Marshall, of the SACC said. "So, the scores may not be as favorable as they could be without the survey response."

Donnie Clapp, Whitefish Mountain Resort's spokesman, said the survey somehow slipped through the cracks.

"We did not return the questionnaire this year," Clapp said. "It is, in fact, our fault that they don't have some things on record. However, some things they use (for reference) are original research (and out of date.)"

A number of resort managers across the West have said that while they appreciate the coalition's efforts to encourage environmental awareness, their grading system may be flawed.

"I think we are all in this together," Clapp said. "As much as we can, we make decisions that keep the environment in mind. If there was a complete reassessment, I think we would fare better."

The coalition's grading system puts the most weight on habitat protection and docks a resort major points if they have in the past, or plan to, expand terrain or real estate opportunities.

Whitefish Resort was deducted the most points for the resort's involvement in real estate development and for the recent Big Mountain Road expansion.

"Our long-term goals no longer revolve around real estate," Clapp said. "They (SACC) consider expansion, and plans to expand, the most detrimental. In that regard, we are in a whole different place than we were.

"We have gone from depending on real estate, to thriving on being a ski and summer resort."

Marshall said if a ski area is planning on developing or expanding they lose some points, however they may earn the points back after a period of five years.

Whitefish Resort also took hits for not using bio-diesel fuel in equipment, for not generating renewable energy on-site and for opposing environmentally progressive policies.

The resort scored full points for not expanding their snowmaking system, protecting wetlands, preserving water quality, protecting roadless areas, protecting old-growth trees and maintaining skiing terrain within the resort's existing footprint.

Clapp added that the resort helps fund the SNOW bus, which is paid for by the Big Mountain Commercial Association. He also said the resort tries to use as much recyclable packaging as possible and supports the Sustainable Slopes initiative.

"And, anytime we buy a new snowmobile, we buy a four-stroke," Clapp said.

The SACC acknowledges their grading system may be defective when comparing the overall environmental impact by small and large resorts.

In this year's report, Lost Trail Ski Area, on the Idaho and Montana border, was given a lower score than Big Sky Resort south of Bozeman.

Lost Trail is a 900-acre ski area that is open four days a week. It boasts five chairlifts, one parking lot, one base lodge and no real-estate opportunities.

Big Sky Resort proclaims itself as "the biggest skiing in America" and offers thousands of acres of terrain, 14 lifts that run seven days a week, and expansive lodging and real estate opportunities.

Marshall said the conflict between large and small resorts would be addressed in future SACC report cards.

"The differences in sizes of ski areas, and the differences between a small ski area and a big ski resort is something that we are hoping to focus on in our next report card," Marshall said. "We feel that this is an important difference, and should be taken into consideration. We can only hope to improve the scorecard from year to year."

Moonlight Basin resort in southwest Montana received the highest score the of seven ski areas in the state that were graded by the coalition. Red Lodge Resort and Montana Snowbowl scored the lowest.

Squaw Valley in Califor-nia was graded with the highest score in the West. Breckenridge in Colorado was at the bottom.