Vail Resorts, Inc. (NYSE: MTN) announced that the Company has submitted a proposal to the U.S. Forest Service for a comprehensive summer activities plan at Vail Mountain, the largest ski resort in the United States.
Vail’s summer activity effort, named Epic Discovery, a Summer Mountain Adventure, will encourage “learn through play” by featuring extensive
environmental educational elements interspersed between numerous new fun activities located in already developed areas of the mountain. Vail Resorts will work with The Nature Conservancy to bring scientific content to the eco-discovery experiences and will be contributing 1 percent of all summer lift ticket and activity revenue toward forest restoration projects. This substantial initiative marks the first proposal of its kind in the country following passage last fall of the Ski Area Recreational Opportunities Enhancement Act, championed by U.S. Senator Mark Udall of Colorado. Epic Discovery is designed to connect kids and families with our national forests in an active, fun and engaging way. The proposal includes a number of new activities, including zip lines, ropes courses, mountain excursions and Forest Flyers(TM) with extensive environmental and interpretive programming, offering guests a unique opportunity to try new outdoor activities, challenge themselves physically, discover an appreciation for nature and create lasting family memories. “Epic Discovery will allow our mountains to truly provide guests from across the country and around the world an experience of a lifetime in the summer. Epic Discovery will make the national forests accessible and engaging to people of all ages and abilities and will help educate them on the unique ecosystem and wildlife on our mountains,” said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts. “Our proposal could not be possible without the recent passage of new legislation, but with Epic Discovery, our Company has raised the bar even further as we teach our kids about the spectacular natural environment that serves as backdrops to our resorts.” Vail Resorts also announced that it will work with the leading conservation non-profit organization, The Nature Conservancy, to assist with the creation of environmental education programming and interpretation. In an unprecedented move, Vail Resorts has created a new program, “1% For The Forest”, under which it will contribute 1 percent of all summer lift ticket and activity revenue to The Nature Conservancy for forest health restoration projects on national forest lands in the West. “When Vail Resorts, approached us with an incredible project such as this, we at The Nature Conservancy seized on the opportunity to not only help bring more families into the national forests, but to inspire them through nature education,” said Tim Sullivan, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. “Then to further be able to raise funds to support forest restoration projects at such a critical time, this is exciting and important work we’ll be doing with Vail Resorts and their guests.” Vail Resorts hopes to begin construction on Epic Discovery activities, after U.S. Forest Service approval, in the summer or fall of 2013. When approved, the resulting on-mountain, eco-conscious experience will generate new jobs related to both the construction of the new facilities and the long-term operation, and will help support a much healthier year-round economy for the local resort commu
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environmental educational elements interspersed between numerous new fun activities located in already developed areas of the mountain. Vail Resorts will work with The Nature Conservancy to bring scientific content to the eco-discovery experiences and will be contributing 1 percent of all summer lift ticket and activity revenue toward forest restoration projects. This substantial initiative marks the first proposal of its kind in the country following passage last fall of the Ski Area Recreational Opportunities Enhancement Act, championed by U.S. Senator Mark Udall of Colorado. Epic Discovery is designed to connect kids and families with our national forests in an active, fun and engaging way. The proposal includes a number of new activities, including zip lines, ropes courses, mountain excursions and Forest Flyers(TM) with extensive environmental and interpretive programming, offering guests a unique opportunity to try new outdoor activities, challenge themselves physically, discover an appreciation for nature and create lasting family memories. “Epic Discovery will allow our mountains to truly provide guests from across the country and around the world an experience of a lifetime in the summer. Epic Discovery will make the national forests accessible and engaging to people of all ages and abilities and will help educate them on the unique ecosystem and wildlife on our mountains,” said Rob Katz, chairman and CEO of Vail Resorts. “Our proposal could not be possible without the recent passage of new legislation, but with Epic Discovery, our Company has raised the bar even further as we teach our kids about the spectacular natural environment that serves as backdrops to our resorts.” Vail Resorts also announced that it will work with the leading conservation non-profit organization, The Nature Conservancy, to assist with the creation of environmental education programming and interpretation. In an unprecedented move, Vail Resorts has created a new program, “1% For The Forest”, under which it will contribute 1 percent of all summer lift ticket and activity revenue to The Nature Conservancy for forest health restoration projects on national forest lands in the West. “When Vail Resorts, approached us with an incredible project such as this, we at The Nature Conservancy seized on the opportunity to not only help bring more families into the national forests, but to inspire them through nature education,” said Tim Sullivan, state director of The Nature Conservancy in Colorado. “Then to further be able to raise funds to support forest restoration projects at such a critical time, this is exciting and important work we’ll be doing with Vail Resorts and their guests.” Vail Resorts hopes to begin construction on Epic Discovery activities, after U.S. Forest Service approval, in the summer or fall of 2013. When approved, the resulting on-mountain, eco-conscious experience will generate new jobs related to both the construction of the new facilities and the long-term operation, and will help support a much healthier year-round economy for the local resort commu
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