Impacts of the 2023/24 reservation-based parking system:

• Car journeys averaging 1.3 skiers per car to 3.31 skiers in shared carpool rides
• An increase from 500 Park & Rides in the 2022/23 season to nearly 5,000 in the 2023/2024 season
• Took 22,698 cars off the road, which is equivalent to driving around Lake Tahoe over 7,000 times and
• Saved 239 tons of carbon dioxide emissions from being released into the atmosphere.
• Employee carpool initiative took 6,000 cars off the road
  

Renewable Diesel Fuel Consumption (Neste Fuel)
In 2021, Palisades Tahoe initiated a pilot program introducing Neste MY Renewable Diesel for the first time. This innovative fuel is derived from discarded materials such as waste, residues, and other renewable sources, rather than fossil fuels. This renewable diesel reduces greenhouse gas emissions by up to 75% compared to conventional diesel. Initially utilized in six trucks and lower mountain snowcats, it also powered backup generators during power outages and provided heating for two mountain buildings

• 2021-22: 8,580 gallons
• 2022-23: 20,000 gallons
• 2023-24: 22,000 gallons
• 2024-25: 66,000 gallons is our new goal

Revegetation

• Implementing strategies to clear fire fuel, prioritize native plant growth, and stabilize the ground through seeding/planting.
  
  

Grooming

• Employing Winch Cats for grooming steeper slopes, optimizing efficiency with reduced human and machine power.
• Incentivizing employees to decrease idle time and fuel consumption.

• $1M to integrate a new Building Automation System to improve energy efficiency at High Camp, Olympic House, Far East, and Alpine Lodge resulting in a carbon reduction of 142 metric tons of CO2 annually.
  

Drink Tahoe Tap and Single-Use Water Bottle Ban

• Palisades Tahoe was the first resort in North America to ban single-use plastic water bottles. We have diverted over 500,000 plastic water bottles from entering the waste stream since the ban in 2015
  
• We support the region-wide effort Drink Tahoe Tap, which encourages using reusable water bottles and drinking from the tap water in Lake Tahoe. The tap water in Lake Tahoe is more rigorously tested than anything you could buy in a plastic bottle and has been coined the “world’s best tap water.”
  
• Palisades Tahoe has installed twenty water refill stations across the resort and reusable water bottles are available for purchase in retail locations for your convenience
  

Food Sourcing and Composting

• Solidified our stature as the primary supporter of the Tahoe Food Hub, exemplifying a commitment to local sourcing. This strategic alignment not only bolsters regional agriculture but also significantly reduces transit time, concurrently mitigating CO2 emissions associated with the transportation of food products.
  
• Embracing environmentally responsible practices, our resort has adopted a suite of compostable eco-products. This conscientious choice serves to diminish our environmental impact and foster a more sustainable operational paradigm.
  
• Since 2021 all food waste has been diverted from the landfill in our dining facilities
  
• All cafeteria trash bins have been replaced with speed racks and totes for guests to dispose of their waste conveniently.
  
• Team members replace full totes with empty ones and manually sort all contents of the full totes into three piles: landfill waste, recyclables, and food waste.
  
• All food waste is redirected to an offsite composting facility. Annually, we divert over 62,000 lbs. of food waste from landfills to this composting facility
  

Equipment Donations

• Established a sustainable cycle for used ski and snowboard equipment by facilitating donations, preventing these items from contributing to landfill waste. This initiative aligns with our commitment to responsible resource management and promotes a circular approach to equipment use.

• Implemented an exclusive use of plant-based wax in our rental and demo shop operations. By adopting this environmentally conscious approach, we contribute to the reduction of petroleum-based products, showcasing our dedication to integrating eco-friendly practices throughout our service offerings.

Pedal to Palisades

• After the snow melts, employees can join the "Pedal-to-Palisades" initiative, where employees track their biking commute to work and get entered in a raffle to win prizes like skis, snowboards, and north face gear. As of July 2024, our employees have biked over 3,900 miles saving over 175 gallons of fuel.

Employee Carpool

• Employees were incentivized to carpool to work during the 23/24 with vouchers to Palisades Tahoe retail and food & beverage outlets. Together with this initiative, our employees collectively removed over 6,000 cars from the road.

Adopt-A-Highway

• Every month, we pay employees to volunteer and help clean up Highway 89 in partnership with Adopt-a-Highway in an effort to be good stewards of this land.

Clean-Up Days

• During our Clean-Up Days, employees embark on our mountain and pick up trash and litter left over from the winter season. We find everything from food wrappers, car keys, to iPhones. Employees are paid for their volunteer time and lunch is provided.
• In June 2024, 80 participants helped with the mountain clean up, removing more than 1,000 lbs of trash from our hill.

Sugar Pine Foundation

• In an effort to help the native plant life of Lake Tahoe, we offer employees paid environmental volunteer time to hike and water sugar pine seedlings in partnership with the Sugar Pine Foundation.

Supporting Health Initiatives in Mountain Communities

The Alterra Mountain Community Foundation provides resources, tools and solutions to address and mitigate challenges and reduce stigma around mental health in mountain communities.

• Mountain Community Screenings: Grants to support screening events of “The Paradise Paradox” to foster dialogue about the challenges around mental health in our mountain communities and increase awareness about available resources.
• Specialized Psychotherapies: Grants to support ski patrollers and heli guides who seek evidence-based trauma treatment as a result of their regular exposure to potentially traumatic incidents in their roles as resort first responders.
• Behavioral Health Access: Facilitated convenings of community partners to energize community efforts to improve local mental healthcare systems, provide opportunities to leverage available resources, and encourage collaboration to achieve the greatest impact.
• Mental Health Toolkit: A combination of resources for mountain communities to utilize as a navigation tool on topics including suicide prevention, substance abuse, experienced trauma, grief, sexual consent, homesickness, and more.
• Emergency Relief and Hardship Assistance: Grants available to individuals and nonprofits in Alterra’s mountain communities seeking relief or assistance due to an emergency, disaster, crisis, or trauma.

Donations

• During the 23/24 season, Palisades Tahoe demonstrated its commitment to community welfare by contributing over $1.9 million in cash and in-kind donations.

• A total of 98 organizations were recipients of either cash or in-kind support, amplifying our efforts to make a meaningful impact across diverse sectors.

Palisades Tahoe proudly supports organizations in alignment with its core values, including but not limited to:

• Mountain Housing Council
• Military to the Mountain
• Excellence in Education: Skiing for Schools (TTUSD)
• Foster the Sierras
• Share Winter Foundation
• Sierra Avalanche Center
• Washoe Tribe
• National Forestry Foundation
• SkiDUCK

SkiDUCK
“Palisades Tahoe has been an amazingly supportive sponsor of SkiDUCK since our very first season in 2009/2010. Over the past 15 seasons, Palisades Tahoe has provided SkiDUCK with over 12,000 free lift tickets, rentals and lessons for financially disadvantaged, minority and at-risk youth to experience the joys of skiing and snowboarding. Local kids from Truckee and North Lake Tahoe, as well as from all over Northern Nevada and California get to experience their first-ever days on the slopes - and can keep coming back all the way through high school. Palisades Tahoe’s wonderful rentals staff and ski and snowboard instructors always make our SkiDUCK kids feel welcomed, and help ensure a wonderful experience in a totally new environment! Together, Palisades Tahoe and SkiDUCK are making magic happen in the mountains and changing kids’ lives!” - Clint Lunde, Executive Director of SkiDUCK

Tahoe Fund
The Tahoe Fund is dedicated to environmental projects in the Lake Tahoe Basin. Founded in 2010, the Tahoe Fund acts as a major source of private funding, bridging the gap between existing environmental needs and declining public funds. By contributing to the Tahoe Fund, Palisades Tahoe helps ensure the restoration and preservation of Lake Tahoe’s forest health, lake clarity, sustainable recreation, transportation, and stewardship. This partnership highlights the importance of public-private collaboration in safeguarding this irreplaceable natural treasure for the 40,000 full-time residents and 15 million visitors who cherish the region. Through the support of generous donors, the Tahoe Fund has successfully leveraged $20 million in private funds to secure over $80 million in public funds, completing more than 130 critical environmental projects.

High Fives Foundation
High Fives Foundation enhances the lives of athletes through their comprehensive programs. The Foundation's grant initiatives provide essential funding for adaptive sports equipment and various rehabilitation resources, empowering athletes to pursue their passions. Additionally, their awareness programs educate young individuals about the importance of safety, aiming to prevent accidents before they occur. By contributing to the High Fives Foundation, Palisades Tahoe helps foster a supportive community that significantly improves the quality of life for many individuals.

• Palisades Tahoe distributed 327 lift tickets to members of the Washoe Tribe in the 22/23 season.
• 95 day tubing tickets were provided to the Washoe Tribe in the 22/23 season.
• Palisades Tahoe engaged 40 Washoe Tribe youth in the Share Winter program, providing three lessons each, in the 22/23 season.

Education

• Palisades Tahoe hosted more than 18 Washoe-led educational talks since 2021.