- Winter Park's Drainage and Erosion Control Plan establishes procedures for:
- Ski Trails
- Forest Islands
- Roads
- Wetlands
- Riparian Corridors
- Alpine Tundra
- Culverts
- Subsurface Drains
- Seeding, Planting and Fertilizing
- Vegetative Riprap
- Sediment Traps
- Check Dams
- Sediment Ponds
These procedures allow for an environment that enhances plant growth, animal diversity and clean water while providing exciting and fulfilling mountain recreation. - Winter Park's Vegetation Management Plan establishes detailed procedures for all soil types found on the mountain. There are many soil types on the mountain. In some cases stabilizing thin soils against erosion is the goal, in others it might be the construction of a man-made wetland to provide amphibian habitat.
- Winter Park partnered with US Forest Service, Colorado Division of Wildlife, Trout Unlimited and others to create the Little Vasquez Creek Colorado River Cutthroat Trout habitat enhancement program that included intensive study of the stream and construction of unique fish ladders and spawning beds. Protection of this waterway has been on-going since construction of Vasquez Ridge. Among other recognition, we were awarded the USFS Regional Foresters Award for this effort. Little Vasquez Creek is home to one of the few remaining populations of genetically pure Colorado River Cutthroat Trout. Fall of 2000 saw a successful spawning season, with about 100 young trout counted in the stream.
- Winter Park has embarked on the Jim Creek boreal toad habitat improvement program. The boreal toad has seen a sharp decrease in numbers and is listed as endangered in Colorado. Jim Creek is east of Winter Parkís main entrance. The habitat improvement program is designed to provide additional breeding area for the toad. A location for a pond has been identified and approved by USFS, and is now awaiting approval from the Army Corps of Engineers.
- Winter Park has been transplanting conifers and willows in Big Valley. This project is intended to provide insect habitat for the benefit of the trout in Little Vasquez Creek.
- Reforestation projects on Winter Park trails Tweedle Dum, Cranmer/Phipps, Mulligan's Mile, Balch and Vista Dome stabilizes soils and provides habitat for birds, insects and mammals.
- Winter Park skidded trees over snow during the Eskimo Express construction project, virtually eliminating soil disturbance. This effort required cutting trees over snow and skidding the trees with snowcats. Long stumps were left, which were flush cut in the summertime and left in place.
- Winter Park dug the Timberline foundation holes by hand to reduce the impact on the tundra.
- Winter Park joined with USFS to post signs on mountain bike trails throughout the valley warning of wet conditions. Bike trails should not be ridden when they are wet, as it creates erosion and water quality problems while damaging the trail.
- Winter Park personnel built rock cairns in the Vasquez Wilderness to guide hikers across the fragile tundra. Limiting foot traffic to a designated area enhances the viability of the tundra and the beauty of the Wilderness.
- Winter Park has constructed wetlands at the bottom of Timberline lift and Marmot Flats. Wetlands provide habitat for amphibians, insects and birds.
- Winter Park has installed strategically located permanent closures to allow tree stands to regenerate themselves. Young trees suffer when run over by skiers and snowboarders.
- Helicopters fly concrete and towers for construction of new Winter Park lifts, significantly reducing soil disturbance. This procedure eliminates the need for creating construction roads on the mountain.
- Winter Park's haul rope lubricant is castor oil, a naturally occurring derivative of the castor bean. If oil comes off the chairlift cable, it does not create a pollution problem.
- Winter Park employees participate in a mountain clean-up in early July, clean the base areas at spring melt-out and clean the grounds immediately following each day of our music festivals. Each year, our employees pick up hundreds of pounds of trash.
- Winter Park employees have "adopted" two miles of highway 40 for clean-up.
- Winter Park use certified weed free hay for mulch and revegetation to prevent the introduction of non-native plant species.
- Winter Park washes the tracks of tracked vehicles before going up the mountain to prevent the introduction of non-native plant species.
- Winter Park has agreed to help fund the Adopt-A-Trail program by donating $1 from each start in our Mountain Bike Race Series so that money and resources will be available to maintain the Fraser Valley trails. Trail maintenance adds to the pleasure of the riding experience while preserving water quality by controlling runoff and limiting erosion.
- Winter Park, with Colorado State University, created the "Winter Park Seed Mix" which rapidly stabilizes disturbed soils with quick generating plants, then eventually replacing the original plants with native plant species.
- Winter Park conducted a Canadian Lynx and Snowshoe Hare habitat study that identifies those areas where the Lynx may have adequate forage and nesting. This effort gives us a great planning tool to provide for recreation while preserving habitat for the Lynx.
- Winter Park installed new double trap floor drains to trap any pollutants in our maintenance shops.
- Winter Park will offer environmental classes through the Winter Park Outdoor Education Center. We plan to start this program in summer of 2001. Classes will range from plant and animal life to mountain weather.
- Winter Park composts organic material when appropriate.
- Winter Park employees volunteer many hours of their own time to assist public and private agencies with trail work and other environmental projects.
- Drainage and erosion control are in place prior to, during and after any construction project to include hay bales, sedimentation fence, detention ponds and immediate revegetation. Summer rainstorms in the mountains can dump large amounts of rain in a short period of time. These preventive measures control silt at the construction site.
- Winter Park has installed "LapMaps" on the Zephyr Express and Eskimo Express, which reduces the need for traditional paper maps and reduces on-mountain litter. Permanently installed trail maps reduce the need for guests to carry their own maps. Many maps found underneath lifts are dropped inadvertently.
- Winter Parkís snowmaking compressors are oil-free centrifugal units that provide clean air at the snowmaking gun, allowing for pure machine-made snow.
- Winter Park restaurant sanitary sewers are equipped with grease traps, to prevent grease from entering the septic system. Grease is manually removed from these traps.
- Winter Parkís maintenance shops are fitted with sand/oil separators to prevent sand and oil from contaminating the floor drain systems. Sand and oil are introduced into the shops by the vehicles. The traps are manually cleaned.
- Bill Wolvin, our Slope Maintenance Director and resident Wildlife Biologist, was requested to remove a troublesome beaver from a rancher's property. Rather than killing the animal he moved him to a small waterway in Mary Jane. Bill encouraged the beaver to build dams by gathering piles of aspen branches from fallen trees. The beaver responded by building dams in strategic locations, creating a series of ponds and a beautiful waterway while providing natural sedimentation ponds before run-off water from the Challenger trails can reach Mary Jane Creek and Fraser River.
- In the summer of 2002, we purchased 60,000 ladybugs to be placed in our gardens. Since the ladybug diet is other insects, and since the ladybug is itself unharmful to plants, the scheme eliminated the need for pesticides.
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