Boyne Mountain Environmental Sustainability Plan
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Boyne Mountain Environmental Sustainability Plan Eric Bruski, Leonore Hijazi, Lauren Hoffman, Laurel Martin, Geoff Michael, Imogen Taylor University of Michigan School of Natural Resources & Environment April 2009 Acknowledgements We would like to express our most sincere gratitude to the following individuals for their efforts and contributions to our project. Their hard work and generosity were greatly appreciated and helped us complete a successful and enlightening report. Boyne Mountain personnel: • Julie Ard, Director of Resort Marketing and Communications • Kerry Argetsinger, Garage Manager • Tobie Aytes, Food and Beverage Purchasing Manager • Brad Bos, Grounds Maintenance Director • Steven Dean, Facility Manager and CPO of Avalanche Bay • Niki Dykhouse, Housekeeping Supervisor • Erin Ernst, Public Relations Manager • Bernie Friedrich, Retail General Manager • Jim Gibbons, Grounds Operations • Ed Grice, General Manager • Sean Handler, Director of Spas • Amanda Haworth, HR Manager • Roy Haworth, Restaurant Manager and Resort Accommodations Manager (2009) • Sam Hayden, Waste Manager • Cindy Johnson, Controller, Avalanche Bay • Phil Jones, Resort Accommodations Manager (through 2008) • Meagan Krzywosinski, HR Recruitment & Training • Brian Main, Resort Sales Specialist & Marketing Manager • Dave Newman, Area Manager • Patrick Patoka, Avalanche Bay Director • Casey Powers, Head Golf Professional • Becky Quakenbush, Dept. Supervisor, Geschenk Laden Gift Shop • Tom Reed, Tri-Turf Vendor • Sarah Rocheleau, Boyne Design Group • Mark Skop, Golf Course Superintendant University Of Michigan faculty: • Chris Ellis, Associate Professor and Faculty Advisor • Greg Keoleian, Associate Professor and Co-Director, Center for Sustainable Systems • Andrew Hoffman, Professor and Co-Director of the Erb Institute i Furthermore, we would like to thank the following organizations for funding our research: ii Executive Summary Context and Need for Study Several significant factors led Boyne Mountain’s management team to explore the development of a comprehensive sustainability plan, including: • The ski industry recognizes that climate change affects productive snowfall levels and the length of the skiing season; the golf industry recognizes its reliance upon a healthy environment to create an aesthetically enjoyable golfing experience • The resort industry is starting to recognize the negative impacts its own activities can have upon the environment, and is becoming interested in more sustainable tourism • Boyne Mountain has a long history of environmental concern that includes land conservation measures and renewable energy generation from a hydropower dam • Boyne Mountain team members and management are interested in environmental sustainability both on a personal and professional level, with some employees having already initiated green projects on their own • Boyne Mountain’s management wants to be proactive in preparing for tougher state and federal energy efficiency and environmental impact requirements that will affect its operations. Project Goals and Scope The purpose of this report is to provide Boyne Mountain management with an environmental management plan to improve the sustainability of its operations. This plan includes projects and policies built on principles and methods that similar resorts have successfully employed, but that incorporate the specific priorities, needs, and constraints of the Boyne Mountain site. Our comprehensive recommendations include ten specific and detailed project components, including implementation advice that will help Boyne Mountain move forward with putting the plan into action. This report spans a broad spectrum of topics including energy and water usage, waste reduction through recycling and composting, designs for sustainable landscaping that preserves ecosystem function and biodiversity, responsible sourcing, green marketing, employee communication and incentive schemes, and forward thinking decision-making protocols. Project recommendations focus primarily on the ski mountain, base lodge area, restaurants, and golf course, but the concepts can be extrapolated onto adjacent properties such as the private condominiums whose owners enjoy Boyne’s amenities. iii Approach The team reviewed publicly available data including online case studies of resorts already employing effective environmental initiatives and U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data to understand the latest trends in environmental management within companies similar to Boyne. In particular, our team used the National Ski Areas Association (NSAA) Sustainable Slopes Initiative as the backbone of our analysis, tailoring it to include recommendations for a four-season resort such as Boyne. Once our purpose was clearly defined, we visited Vail Mountain, Aspen Ski Company, and Winter Park, all of which are located in Colorado and are recognized by the Sustainable Slopes Initiative for their leadership in environmental sustainability. Discussions with staff at these resorts provided ideas about specific changes Boyne Mountain could implement, barriers and opportunities ski resorts face, and the feasibility of various initiatives. These discussions and site visits also helped us establish a working set of best practices in ski resort sustainability. We interviewed Boyne Mountain personnel about their current operating procedures, sustainability initiatives they’ve considered or implemented, and opportunities they saw to improve efficiencies or lessen environmental impact. We examined utility bills, site maps, and purchasing agreements to obtain a working understanding of Boyne Mountain’s current practices and recent business. We compared the best practices in resort sustainability against Boyne Mountain’s current practices in a “gap analysis” that allowed us to see in which areas the most improvement was need. We then developed potential project component ideas that, if implemented, would close the major gaps, bringing Boyne Mountain on par with best-in-class resorts. These ideas were presented to Boyne Mountain personnel, who identified their own set of high-priority project components and provided feedback on the feasibility of implementing new sustainability practices. We then selected ten project components which would have the highest impact on the sustainability of the resort while addressing Boyne management’s priorities and fitting the skill sets of our group members. For each project component, we developed detailed recommendations on how Boyne Mountain can effectively manage the resort in a more sustainable way. Projects and Recommendations Our review identified the following project components, which we believe are logistically feasible for Boyne Mountain’s current staff and resource base, environmentally beneficial, and financially valuable: • Energy Efficiency and Renewable Energy (Chapter 3) • Resort-wide Recycling Program (Chapter 4) iv • Composting Program (Chapter 5) • Educational Gardens (Chapter 6) • Audubon Sanctuary Golf Course Certification (Chapter 7) • Sustainable Purchasing Guidelines (Chapter 8) • Green Marketing Plan (Chapter 9) • Internal Communications Plan (Chapter 10) • Employee Reward System (Chapter 11) • Sustainable Financing (Chapter 12) Key Insights and Findings Our research uncovered four key takeaways: 1. Resorts have a direct impact on the environment, which can be mitigated. The daily operations of a large scale resort like Boyne produce real environmental burdens, from greenhouse gas emissions to solid waste. However, there are several cost-effective and straightforward ways to reduce this burden, improving resorts’ impact on the environment and raising the long-term sustainability of the business itself. Practices like recycling and energy conservation, now considered standard by most businesses, should be implemented immediately; not only will Boyne reduce its environmental footprint, it will also enjoy lower utility bills. Longer term projects such as the planting of native, educational gardens can ease the water and fertilizer demands of the resort property; minimize harmful effects to surrounding natural areas; provide habitat for desired wildlife; and demonstrate to guests the importance of sustainable land management. 2. Sustainability must be integrated throughout organizational structure of the business. A top down commitment to sustainability will be necessary to significantly change Boyne’s practices. The CEO must set the direction by explicitly incorporating environmental stewardship into the core values of the company. The executive leadership team should then be tasked with setting and adopting clear annual targets that support the general goal of improved sustainability. Managers’ decision-making processes, including budgeting, project valuation, and employee performance evaluation, must incorporate environmental impact and long-term considerations. Although many team members at Boyne Mountain are enthusiastic about improved sustainability, the current budgeting and incentive structure discourages resort-wide adoption of sustainable practices. Other resorts have successfully incorporated sustainability into their management structure through such mechanisms as resort-wide energy, water, and waste reduction goals, a separate capital pool for “green” projects, and employee rewards for environmentally friendly behavior. 3. Customers are expecting “greener” resorts, and suppliers are making this easier to achieve. v American consumers are increasingly using environmental criteria to make