SAM Magazine—Boyne Falls, Mich., April 21, 2023—Boyne Resorts has introduced its Master Plan for reducing carbon emissions to net zero by 2030, a goal that was the catalyst to forming the ForeverProject, Boyne Resorts’ long-term pledge to sustainable practices. Largely structured around collective action, the 2030 Master Plan also includes property-specific plans that both allow and require independent initiative among the company’s resorts and facilities across North America. The plan aims to enable Boyne Resorts to reduce its carbon footprint while balancing environmental and economic sustainability. 

Stephen Kircher, president and CEO of the 75-year-old company, said the company seeks to "ensure our next 75 years and future generations are afforded the same quality of life we have and that our resorts represent. The ForeverProject 2030 Master Plan will help guide us in this mission and reflects our culture of embracing new technologies and ways of doing business.” 

Boyne committed in early 2020 to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions within 10 years and to power the company’s operations with 100 percent clean electricity. Boyne contracted Colorado-based Brendle Group to lead development of a plan to reach these goals. The resulting ForeverProject defines twelve “Big Moves” to propel operations toward net zero; energy audits and maximizing efficiency of current and future buildings are the near-term priorities. 

Advocacy to help drive the transition to a clean energy economy is a key element of the plan, as is the company's recent creation of a vice president of sustainability position, which Boyne expects to fill by June.

Boyne took a step toward clean electricity in January 2021, when it offset its collective electric energy consumption with renewable energy credits, not otherwise met with grid-supplied renewable energy from resort utility providers. Offsets will continue to play a role in the ForeverProject, although reduced consumption, increased efficiencies, and expanding local renewable supplies are expected to steadily decrease offset/credit purchases. 

“Boyne's efforts to understand their greenhouse gas emissions and willingness to innovate and invest to lay a better path forward is an inspiration to us at Brendle Group and hopefully a model for other ski resorts and mountain communities,” said Judy Dorsey, Brendle Group founding president and principal engineer.

The new Master Plan and ForeverProject expand on other recent Boyne initiatives. In 2019, Boyne Resorts partnered with Mountain Towns 2030 and joined the Mountain Collaborative for Climate Action, an initiative among North America’s four largest ski resort companies. These initiatives recognize that the resorts' local communities are essential partners in engineering widespread sustainability and mitigating climate risk. Among the ForeverProject's long-term goals are local programs and ongoing education for team members, community members, and guests, as well as workforce diversity and team member housing.

Since 2020, the company’s mountain resorts have participated in the National Ski Area Association’s Sustainable Slopes and Climate Challenge programs, and in 2021 the company earned the Golden Eagle Award for Environmental Excellence.