COPPER MOUNTAIN — A new solar-power system, “green” construction of a new sports facility and an initiative to get employees involved in energy conser­vation are among the environmental highlights touted by Copper Mountain in an annual report released this week.
  “This year our focus was really on how individuals can make a difference in their everyday lives,” said Copper Mountain spokeswoman Lauren Pelletreau of the resort’s 2008 environmental report.
  As part of its capital construction this summer, the resort has installed a new 4.2-kilowatt solar system to power a portion of the resort’s transportation center starting this fall and gained Green Globes certification for its construction of the Camp Woodward facility.
  The sustainable features of Wood­ward include an energy-recovery venti­lation system, a recycled steel frame and sustainable building materials.
  The company also has kicked off its “Get Involved” program to showcase different ways that residents, employ­ees and visitors to Copper can help the environment, including tips on using green cleaning products and reusable cloth bags instead of plastic or paper.
  Copper employees have adopted a trail and planted trees, and executive chef Justin Peterson replaced paper plates with washable plates in three of the resort’s four food courts.
  “Our environment initiatives are visi­ble to our guests in the summer and the winter,” Pelletreau said. “We hope that we can inspire them to do something in their own lives by seeing the things we do at Copper, and, of course, we try to edu­cate our employees as much as possible.” This past year, Copper was rated as the least environmentally-sensitive ski resort in the western United States by the Ski Area Citizens’ Coalition. It received a score of 29 percent; Breckenridge was second-worst, with a 33.4 percent rating. The coalition of environmental groups judges resorts based on issues such as preservation of undisturbed land, using renewable energy and trans­portation systems. The coalition has not seen Copper’s 2008 report, but Colorado Wild executive director Ryan Bidwell said the resort traditionally has lagged behind its peers in updating its snow­making equipment and using renewable fuels and energy, and it has a history of expanding into sensitive ecological areas. “They got an F on the report card last year, but a year ago, they did hire an environmental program coordinator for the first time and undertook a bunch of initiatives,” Bidwell said. “We are hope­ful they have a change of attitude at Copper … The jury is still out, I guess.” Copper officials are aware of their rating from the coalition.
  “They have their own set of criteria and weighting system for the resorts,” Pel­letreau said. “Here at Copper, we evaluate our environmental program with a differ­ent set of criteria. We feel that our initiatives and programs have a positive impact.”