Since 1962, we’ve enjoyed the breathtaking views and perfectly spaced tree skiing that Lake Tahoe’s West Shore has to offer-and we intend to keep it that way. Environmental, economic and social sustainability are key considerations of our operations as we serve Lake Tahoe as a recreational mountain resort. We have maintained a positive track record with regard to being an environmentally-friendly resort, and our efforts have been recognized with state and industry awards. Our sustainability efforts are ongoing, and we are constantly seeking out strategies to improve our operations and minimize our carbon footprint. We recognize we have a social responsibility as a company, and we aim to do our best in reducing our environmental impact. With each step forward we further the goal of keeping our home beautiful for future generations — from Peak to Shore.
Homewood’s On-Mountain Environmental Laboratory
Homewood has served as a working watershed monitoring laboratory and results have been published into a 300-page Watershed Management Guidebook, by our partners at Integrated Environmental Restoration Services (IERS). This guidebook serves as a valuable resource for other ski resorts seeking to improve their watershed management initiatives. The watershed work is part of our overall environmental mission at Homewood. “We recognize our responsibility to be good environmental stewards and a community partner. Our efforts, both present and future, aim to keep this mind,” explains Kevin Mitchell, Homewood Mountain Resort’s General Manager.
View Guidebook
It’s no secret driving less yields less pollution and traffic in our local area. Homewood is a proud sponsor of the North Lake Tahoe Free Ski Shuttle and offers a free Dial-a-Ride service for all visitors on the West Shore of Lake Tahoe. The shuttle operates 7-days a week during the ski season and is completely FREE to Homewood Mountain Resort guests.
During the 2018/19 winter season, our Dial-a-Ride free shuttle service served over 1,000 people with approximately 350 trips. We estimate that a total of 5,600 miles of driving was reduced around the lake which in turn reduced CO2 emissions by 49,896 kg by this service alone.
DIAL-A-RIDE
We believe in doing what we can to reduce waste. Our properties are outfitted with recycling receptacles so our employees and guests can do their part.
Our “No Idle Policy” aims to put an end to unnecessary idling and therefore air pollution.
Idling Facts, from NSAA:
- The CO2 emissions associated with idling accounts for roughly 1.6 percent of the total U.S.
greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions. - Stopping unnecessary idling improves air quality and the respiratory and cardiovascular health
of people in our communities, particularly among children. - While sitting in an idling vehicle, drivers are exposed to higher levels of vehicle pollution than
when the vehicle is in motion because exhaust enters the cabin. Exposure to most vehicle
exhaust is much higher inside vehicles than at the roadside. - Vehicles are a lot different today than they were just 15 years ago. Today’s engine
manufacturers typically recommend a warm-up time of 5 minutes or less. - Idling for more than 10 seconds uses more fuel than restarting your engine.
- Raises awareness about damages that could take place in the event of a spill
- Sets up strict SOP’s to reduce likelihood of accident
- Sets up best practices for if spill event were to occur
Through our partnership with the local non-profit Tahoe Fund, we’ve made it easy for our guests to help care for Lake Tahoe. When purchasing a season pass or lift ticket, visitors can donate $1 or more to the Tahoe Fund to contribute to bike trails, public parks, restoration projects, interpretive programs, and other efforts that improve the Tahoe landscape.
As of April 2021, our program has raised over $19,000 to benefit the Tahoe Fund, and therefore conservation and environmental stewardship in the Tahoe Basin. Thank you for helping us give back to our beautiful community!
On April 6, 2021 the Tahoe Fund announced they raised over 1 million dollars from their “One Dollar at a Time” program.“We are blown away by the support local businesses and their patrons have shown for Lake Tahoe,” said Amy Berry, Tahoe Fund CEO. “This milestone shows how small acts of kindness of just $1 can have a huge impact. We are beyond grateful to our business partners for helping us collect these donations”.
- Homewood Wins 2013 Golden Eagle Environmental Award by National Ski Area Association (NSAA) for its innovative watershed management and water-quality monitoring work.
- Homewood Awarded 2013 California Governor’s Environmental and Economic Leadership Award (GEELA) for its on-mountain watershed restoration work.
- Homewood & Integrated Environmental Services awarded 2010 “Best in the Basin” TRPA Awards for its watershed improvement plan. For full press release, click here.
- Special Events – On June 3, 2017, we hosted “West Shore Clean-Up Day,” which was focused on removing trash from bike paths, roadways and beaches in our community. Cleaning supplies were also provided to other local West Shore businesses so they could clean up their own areas prior to the start of the summer season.
- We Are Still In – Alongside mayors, governors, college and university leaders, businesses, and investors, we have signed on in support of climate action and the Paris Agreement. We are proud to stand beside our National Ski Areas Association partners in the “We Are Still In” Coalition. This simply means we will strive to be better in all of our operations by reducing our carbon footprint and minimizing of waste.
- Shop Locally – Whenever possible, we purchase our team’s gear and uniforms locally. In turn, this shortens the product’s supply chain journey and helps give back to businesses in our community.