Environmental Groups Take Ski Resorts To Task

Reno, NV — A group of environmental organizations says some ski areas in the Sierra Nevadas are not doing an effective job in the fight against global warming.

The Ski Area Citizen´s Coalition asserts that several California ski resorts aren´t considering the problem in their operations.

Ski industry officials say the report is inaccurate, and that global warming is a big issue among ski area operators.

The coalition bases its conclusions on issues such as expansion, snowmaking machinery, environmental history and the impact on wildlife habitat.

Ski areas that received favorable reviews were Alpine Meadows and Sierra at Tahoe. The report says those not doing so well include Northstar at Tahoe and Kirkwood.

The coalition´s findings indicate that 26% of the resorts surveyed support car pooling programs, 21% use biodiesel fuels and 16% use wind or solar energy.