{"id":2452576,"date":"2019-12-25T05:00:00","date_gmt":"2019-12-25T12:00:00","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/?p=318239"},"modified":"2019-12-25T05:00:00","modified_gmt":"2019-12-25T12:00:00","slug":"the-sustainable-path-snowmass-takes-layered-aim-at-increasing-efficiency-decreasing-emissions","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/local-news\/the-sustainable-path-snowmass-takes-layered-aim-at-increasing-efficiency-decreasing-emissions\/","title":{"rendered":"The sustainable path: Snowmass takes layered aim at increasing efficiency, decreasing emissions"},"content":{"rendered":"<div class=\"swift-gallery p402_hide\" readability=\"6.768152866242\">\n<ul id=\"imageGallery-318239-97\" class=\"gallery list-unstyled\">\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-1024x342.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | The Village Express carries skiers up the mountain as snow is being made pictured next to a scenic of Snowmass Mountain without skiers.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>The Village Express carries skiers up the mountain as snow is being made pictured next to a scenic of Snowmass Mountain without skiers.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-1024x342.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"The Village Express carries skiers up the mountain as snow is being made pictured next to a scenic of Snowmass Mountain without skiers.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-1-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-1-1024x340.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | A full overflow ski lot in Town Park is pictured next to the free bus to Aspen that picks up at the Snowmass Village Mall.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1.5\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"8\">\n<p><strong>A full overflow ski lot in Town Park is pictured next to the free bus to Aspen that picks up at the Snowmass Village Mall.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-1-1024x340.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"A full overflow ski lot in Town Park is pictured next to the free bus to Aspen that picks up at the Snowmass Village Mall.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-2-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-2-1024x436.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | An electrical outlet on the outside of a restaurant in the Snowmass Village Mall is pictured next to the newly installed solar panels that run the length of the roof of the Snowmass Village Recreation Center.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>An electrical outlet on the outside of a restaurant in the Snowmass Village Mall is pictured next to the newly installed solar panels that run the length of the roof of the Snowmass Village Recreation Center.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-2-1024x436.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"An electrical outlet on the outside of a restaurant in the Snowmass Village Mall is pictured next to the newly installed solar panels that run the length of the roof of the Snowmass Village Recreation Center.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<li data-thumb=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-3-150x150.jpg\" data-src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-3-1024x338.jpg\" data-sub-html=\"Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun | Clothing items to purchase are displayed on the outside of a store in Snowmass Village Mall pictured beside a waste container that allows the separation of trash and mixed recycling.\" class=\"h-100\" readability=\"-1\">\n<div class=\"caption\" readability=\"9\">\n<p><strong>Clothing items to purchase are displayed on the outside of a store in Snowmass Village Mall pictured beside a waste container that allows the separation of trash and mixed recycling.<\/strong><br \/>Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<div class=\"row no-gutters h-100\">\n<div class=\"col my-auto\"> <img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/cdn.aspentimes.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/5\/2019\/12\/green1-svs-122519-1-3-1024x338.jpg\" data-no-lazy=\"1\" alt=\"Clothing items to purchase are displayed on the outside of a store in Snowmass Village Mall pictured beside a waste container that allows the separation of trash and mixed recycling.\"><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p class=\"caption-toggle\"><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/the-sustainable-path\/#\" class=\"show-captions\">Show Captions<\/a><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/the-sustainable-path\/#\" class=\"hide-captions\">Hide Captions<\/a><\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">Editor\u2019s Note: This is part of a three-story series published in the Dec. 25 Snowmass Sun looking at sustainability efforts in the village.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText DropCap\">In early 2008, Snowmass town government started to engage with locals to create an environmental sustainability plan for the village.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After a year of collecting community input and working with the Rocky Mountain Institute to identify and prioritize the local environmental issues the village should address, the plan was finalized and adopted by Town Council, according to town documents.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The 2009 plan didn\u2019t include any implementation strategies that required budget appropriations or staff resources. Instead, it detailed a set of 10 issues deemed critical to the sustainability of Snowmass Village \u2014 including energy conservation, climate protection, resource conservation and transportation \u2014 and specific goals to address each.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">A plan update in 2015 carried out by the town\u2019s Environmental Advisory Board showed a 76% overall performance score in addressing these issues, and little has been made public about the town\u2019s progress since, except for a broad section in the 2018 comprehensive plan and an \u201cupdates and successes\u201d word document on the town environmental health webpage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But according to current Environmental Advisory Board members, the town has done a lot behind the scenes over the past year to continue to chip away at some of these longstanding sustainability feats and is on track to meet its 2020 goals of reducing village emissions by 20%.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cAt the end of the day, the deadline to lower our carbon footprint is in our face,\u201d Travis Elliott, assistant town manager and town liaison for the Environmental Advisory Board said of the town\u2019s 20% reduction by 2020 goal. \u201cWe have the ability to be a leader in renewable energy and an opportunity to be on the forefront of sustainability initiatives.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to the United Nations, sustainability is defined as \u201cmeeting the needs of the present without compromising the ability of future generations to meet their own needs.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">This broad definition can apply to environmental, economic and social needs, and is often discussed as the key development strategy to mitigate the negative impacts of climate change.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">In the 2018 Snowmass comprehensive plan, \u201cpromoting environmental and economic sustainability and resiliency\u201d is the town\u2019s second-to-top strategic initiative, and the village\u2019s sustainability plan highlights energy conservation and climate protection; affordable housing and community-serving commercial; land use and open space; water; and resource conservation, recycling and solid waste as the topics and areas most critical to the sustainability of Snowmass Village.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">And according to a handful of town officials, sustainability really does shape the day-to-day decision-making of the departments that overlap with these critical areas, serving as a work in-progress that can always be improved on.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">GREENER ENERGY<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For the past several years, energy conservation and efficiency has been a main focus of Snowmass Village officials.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cPer capita, we have a higher carbon footprint than other communities, but that\u2019s no reason to put our heads down,\u201d Elliott said. \u201cIt\u2019s the opposite. It requires us to focus on sustainability, especially since we rely on tourism and depend on snow.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">And since it started tracking emissions levels, Snowmass Village has seen success. Between 2009 and 2017, the town experienced a 17% reduction in carbon emissions, according to the village\u2019s 2017 Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory Report.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">This downward trajectory puts the town on track to meet its 20% by 2020 emissions reduction goal, the report states, and attributes the majority of the village\u2019s greenhouse gas emissions \u2014 76% \u2014 to energy use in buildings.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Part of the town\u2019s success in reducing its carbon footprint stems from Holy Cross Energy\u2019s commitment to a greener grid and local energy conservation actions, which helped decrease electricity emissions in Snowmass by 34%, the report shows.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Snowmass Village is a part of HCE\u2019s PuRE program, which allows town governments, businesses and individuals to become 100% clean-energy users by choosing to pay for a renewable energy source that offsets their non-renewable energy usage.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">HCE is supplied by 39% renewable energy, meaning PuRE program participants are responsible for offsetting the remaining 61% with renewable energy like wind, hydro or solar, according to the company website.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">But although the valley\u2019s greener grid has been a huge help to Snowmass in reaching its 20 by 20 goal, the town has also implemented a few renewable energy initiatives of its own.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">After receiving Town Council approval in spring 2019, town staff got the ball rolling on a renewable energy project with five moving parts, including the installation of solar panels on four town buildings, along with a micro-hydro turbine that will use the natural flow of water to create hydroelectric power.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">The solar panels are set to go online in early 2020, and the custom turbine should be installed and producing energy by late spring, Elliott said.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Elliott also acknowledged the village\u2019s improved snowmelt system \u2014 which includes two new boilers for Carriage Way that debuted this winter season and an infrared sensor system that ensures snowmelt is only activated when needed \u2014 and the partnership with Transit, an app that will allow locals and visitors to better navigate the Village Shuttle system.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Transportation and aviation emissions are both on increasing trends in Snowmass, and town and county officials are working to encourage more locals and visitors to utilize public transportation as a result.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Subhead\">SUSTAINABILITY BY DEPARTMENT<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">While renewable, resilient energy and public transportation initiatives seem to be the most common topics of sustainable conversation in Snowmass, there also are a handful of other departments with goals focused on efficiently meeting the needs of locals and visitors for years to come.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">From housing to solid waste, the town is working to address the sustainability spectrum on a multitude of layered levels. For example, Betsy Crum, director of housing, is focused on finding ways to \u201ctuck in\u201d 200 additional affordable housing units to the existing village landscape, while Julie Ann Woods, community development director, and her team ensure any future development meets a plethora of land-use, community purpose and building codes and guidelines.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">And while Crum and Woods focus on living space above the surface, Snowmass Water and Sanitation District Manager Kit Hamby has his eye on the water being pumped throughout the village below and whether its enough to support current and future locals and visitors.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Since 2005, Hamby said the district has worked to ensure it has enough water secured, whether that be through water rights or storage capacity, in case there is a shortage or major decrease in flows of the town\u2019s main water source, Snowmass Creek.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">And over the past 20 years, Hamby said the district has decreased the millions of gallons it pumps through its treatment facility by more than 30% due to more than a dozen efficiency and sustainability measures put in place.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cSome things are out of our control, but it boils down to long term planning,\u201d Hamby said of maintaining water sustainability in the Snowmass area.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">That\u2019s the planning mindset Dave Ogren, solid waste and recycling superintendent for Snowmass, is often in, too.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">According to Ogren, the solid waste and recycling department gets nearly 100% community participation in its recycling program, which is offered at a reduced rate, and about 60% of the town\u2019s total waste on average is recycled.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Although Ogren said the program is successful, he said it\u2019s important to look at the larger, longer term picture, which is that recycling in Snowmass actually has a fairly large carbon footprint because all of the material has to be trucked to a center in Denver for sorting, and then often taken elsewhere for processing.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIf you want the real truth as far as impacting the environment, we\u2019re so far away from so many of the markets here in the West that it\u2019s really not that environmentally friendly,\u201d Ogren said of recycling.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Ogren said what it comes down to is how locals shop. If isolated, mountain communities want to be greener, Ogren feels it\u2019s especially important to purchase items with less packaging and to look at how waste decisions contribute to the town\u2019s larger carbon footprint.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Despite town officials\u2019 efforts to pursue all-encompassing sustainability efforts in Snowmass, elected officials know they won\u2019t be truly successful until the whole community takes a part.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">For Town Council members, that community cooperation means not only should locals work to decrease their carbon footprints as individuals, but also bring their thoughts and concerns about the future of Snowmass to the Town Hall council chambers.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cThe town needs to uphold its sustainability plan and goals, but the larger entities need to follow suit,\u201d Councilman Tom Goode said. \u201cWe do as much as we can as the town, but we need businesses and individuals to buy in, too.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">Mayor Markey Butler expressed similar thoughts, suggesting the potential for the town to create incentives for locals to pursue more sustainable life choices and to voice their opinions.<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText\">\u201cIt doesn\u2019t matter whether you\u2019re a Republican or a Democrat, it\u2019s about protecting the community, the world, your grandchildren and the future generations,\u201d Butler said of pursuing sustainability as a community in Snowmass. \u201cIt comes down to what we need versus what we want. \u2026 As a community, we need to be conscientious, studious and ethically grounded.\u201d<\/p>\n<p class=\"STND-STND BodyText Tagline\"><a href=\"mailto:mvincent@aspentimes.com\">mvincent@aspentimes.com<\/a><\/p>\n<p><a href=\"https:\/\/www.aspentimes.com\/snowmass\/the-sustainable-path\/\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener noreferrer\">via:: The Aspen Times<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The Village Express carries skiers up the mountain as snow is being made pictured next to a scenic of Snowmass Mountain without skiers.Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun A full overflow ski lot in Town Park is pictured next to the free bus to Aspen that picks up at the Snowmass Village Mall.Kelsey Brunner\/Snowmass Sun An electrical outlet [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[49],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2452576","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","category-local-news"],"acf":[],"publishpress_future_action":{"enabled":false,"date":"2026-08-19 00:29:26","action":"change-status","newStatus":"draft","terms":[],"taxonomy":"category","extraData":[]},"publishpress_future_workflow_manual_trigger":{"enabledWorkflows":[]},"distributor_meta":false,"distributor_terms":false,"distributor_media":false,"distributor_original_site_name":"KSPN The Valley&#039;s Quality Rock","distributor_original_site_url":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn","push-errors":false,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452576","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2452576"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2452576\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2452576"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2452576"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/alwaysmountaintime.com\/kspn\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2452576"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}