SAM Magazine--April 28, 2010--The National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) named five member ski areas as the recipients of its annual Sustainable Slopes Grant program. The ski areas winning cash grants include Alta, Utah, Crested Butte, Colo., Grand Targhee, Wyo., Mt. Abram, Maine, and Stevens Pass, Wash. The grants, this year totaling $100,000, are designed to spark innovation among NSAA member resorts and provide resorts additional resources to initiate sustainability projects.

New this year are two in-kind high-efficiency snowmaking system grants provided by Massachusetts-based snowmaking equipment manufacturer Snow Economics/HKD Snowmakers. This year's winners, Mt. Abram, Maine and Crested Butte, Colo., will each receive 10 high-efficiency snowmaking guns from Snow Economics/HKD Snowmakers, a total value of $80,000.

Other winning projects of the grant program, sponsored by California energy bar maker CLIF Bar & Co., and the Natural Resources Defense Council (NRDC), include energy management and interpretive signage projects at Alta; an electric bike used for resort maintenance at Crested Butte; water bottle refilling stations at Grand Targhee; and a composting pilot project at Stevens Pass. Each of the winning programs will be highlighted in a future issue of the NSAA Journal. For more information on NSAA's Sustainable Slopes Grant program or to learn more about environmental initiatives and projects visit the Environment section of nsaa.org.

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