Vail Resorts joins push by Udall, Polis for new wilderness designations in Colorado

Vail Resorts has announced it has teamed with the Colorado Environmental Coalition and other conservation groups in supporting U.S. Sen. Mark Udall, D-Colorado, and U.S. Rep. Jared Polis, D-Colorado, who are seeking better protection and management of up to 175,000 acres of ecologically important lands in Eagle and Summit counties, where Vail Resorts operates.

Endless summer: Ski resorts struggle to keep terrain open in new climate change frontier

ASPEN — Flowers are blooming along the sidewalks. Snow on the mountains is melting fast. Residents here aren’t sure whether to ski or golf. But most of them are certain of one thing: Climate change is for real.

Squaw Valley ski deal ups ante in Denver-Tahoe race for 2022 Winter Olympics

A Denver 2022 Winter Olympic bid may face a much stiffer challenge than the ongoing squabble between U.S. and international Olympic officials over revenue sharing. The Reno-Lake Tahoe region on the California-Nevada border suddenly became a lot more attractive.

Colorado ski industry surging as national economic optimism rises

As President Barack Obama’s approval ratings this month climbed to 2009 levels based on renewed economic optimism, hope in Colorado’s high country – and to some degree the state’s overall economy – has been literally falling from the heavens. The ski industry lobbying group Colorado Ski Country USA (CSCUSA) recently reported its 22 member resorts saw a 10 percent increase in skier visits for the first part of the ski season (October to the end of December), largely because of abundant early snowfall.

Vail snubbed by DOE in bid to build biomass power plant

In the end, it may not be NIMBYism or environmentalist objections to producing power by burning trees that dooms Vail’s proposed biomass power plant. It may just be a simple lack of funding.

McInnis money trail leads to 1990s mountain resort, real estate deals

During his first few years in Congress representing the sprawling 3rd Congressional District on Colorado’s Western Slope, Republican Scott McInnis was a strong voice for the state’s ski industry, advocating for the interests of the nation’s most popular destination resorts…

Times stokes cloud of controversy over Breck pot vote

Breckenridge, the quaint Victorian mountain town at the base of the state’s most popular ski area, suddenly is known around the nation as the highest town in Colorado’s high country – and not at all because of its 9,600-foot elevation.…

Vilsack appreciates ‘unique situation’ driving Colorado on roadless rule wildfire mitigation

DENVER — U.S. Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack on Monday gave the strongest indication to date that the draft of Colorado’s roadless rule, which allows road-building exemptions for wildfire mitigation in wilderness areas, will at least be closely considered as the Obama administration moves toward a comprehensive national rule.

Vilsack on hand as Vail, Forest Service team up to clean up Hayman fire area

The state’s largest ski-resort operator will pony up three-quarters of a million bucks over the next three years to help restore forests damaged in the state’s largest wildfire – the devastating, 138,000-acre Hayman blaze of 2002.

According to Gov. Bill…

Everything but the trail maps: Vail Resorts to go paperless

Vail Resorts on Monday announced a green initiative to dramatically reduce its $1-million-a-year annual paper budget, but for now will keep printing trail maps skiers and snowboarders can stash in a coat pocket, according to the Vail Daily.

The…