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Howard: Creating space for community conversations

It’s been a stunning fall so far here in Vail. From the golden aspen leaves to our first dusting of snow, I’ve relished every moment of this beautiful weather. The fall has also been filled with excitement for Vail Mountain and our community.

We are tremendously proud to have announced our partnership with the town of Vail and East West Partners to develop the West Lionshead area into a fourth base village at Vail Mountain. We are looking forward to engaging with the community on this exciting project. We also celebrated our valley at the Vail Social community potluck, one of my favorite events of the year.

And last but certainly not least, last month, Beaver Creek Resort’s COO Bobby Murphy and I had the privilege of co-hosting a community conversation on climate with Walking Mountains Science Center and Vail Resorts’ Epic Promise. It was great to convene almost 60 leaders in Eagle County to discuss community resiliency, and how our community can become more resilient in the face of climate change.



I first want to recognize the incredible panelists who joined the conversation, led by moderator Melissa Kirr from Walking Mountains Science Center. Thank you to Brielle Kelley from Your Hope Center, Charlotte Lin from the town of Avon, Fritz Bratschie from Vail Resorts, Gina McCrackin from Walking Mountains Science Center, John Welaj from Habitat for Humanity Vail Valley, and Tori Franks from Eagle County government.

The conversation we had was inspiring, wide-ranging and highlighted some impactful successes we’ve had in our community, such as Eagle County’s climate-conscious standardized building codes, bringing compost options locally within the valley, and Holy Cross Energy’s commitment to renewable energy sources. From the discussion, it became even more apparent there is an interconnectedness between climate and community concerns like mental health, housing and diversity.

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It also became even more clear that we cannot address this important work alone. It requires collaboration, trial and error, creativity and teamwork — along with a healthy dose of passion.

At Vail Mountain, we recognize that the environment is our business, and we have a responsibility to protect it. Since we announced our Commitment to Zero net operating footprint by 2030, we have been working on the path to deliver this bold goal. Monday’s event allowed us to share our sustainability journey with our partners and learn from others in our valley.

To continue the momentum I’m feeling from this community conversation, all of us need to take steps — big or small — on our sustainability journey. No matter the size, they have an impact. If you are interested in making an impact, there are many fantastic resources, and so many people willing to help. Reach out, ask questions, and lean on each other for support.

The winter will be here before we know it, and I’m grateful to the Vail Mountain team and our community for their hard work and dedication to prepare to welcome our guests. One month to go until the mountain opens.

Beth Howard is vice president and chief operating officer of Vail Mountain.


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