SAM Magazine--Durango, Colo., Oct. 6, 2004--The Ski Area Citizens' Coalition (SACC)'s annual Ski Area Environmental Scorecard has fingered the top and bottom 10 areas in the West based on their environmental performance, according to the group's rating system.

Among those receiving A ratings in SACC's report-card-style system are Aspen Mountain, Aspen Highlands, Buttermilk, Alpine Meadows, Calif., Sundance, Ut., Mount Bachelor, Wolf Creek, Colo., Sierra at Tahoe, and Timberline, Ore. Winter Park entered the top 10 with a B grade.

Among those areas receiving the lowest grades are several that have completed or are undergoing or planning major base or on-mountain expansions, expansion being a major factor in an area's overall grade. Crested Butte, Breckenridge, Copper Mountain, Crystal Mountain, Wash., Vail, and Silver Mountain, Ida., all received F's. Brian Head, Ut., Keystone, Kirkwood and Grand Targhee all received D's.

SACC says that it has changed its criteria to reflect positive actions, such as water conservation and use of wind power or biodiesel, but scores were little-changed from previous years. \