The announcement was made Tuesday, April 5th, by the town of Breckenridge.
Certification efforts include environmental stewardship, climate change adaptation, greenhouse gas reductions, cultural heritage protection, low impact transportation, waste reduction, public health and safety, workforce housing, and sustainability education.
While home to nearly 5,000 residents, the town of Breckenridge sees more than one million visitors each year. Formerly a mining town, the installation of ski lifts in the 1960s turned sights toward tourism.
Notable past achievements include the preservation of 4,425 acres of open space, creation of a workforce housing program and fund, establishment of a child care tuition assistance program, and improvement of land use and development code protecting historical assets of the town.
Robert (Bobby) Chappell, Green Destination’s North American Representative says, “Breckenridge has a long history of sustainability good practice and were able to leverage that experience to design an effective destination management framework. Certification is recognition for that journey.”
“We are very proud of this Mountain Ideal Certification,” said Lucy Kay, CEO, Breckenridge Tourism Office. “Local lifestyles revolve around our incredible natural environment and residents are very passionate about how well we care for it. In addition, environmental sustainability is increasingly cited by travelers as being important in their destination decisions. This recognition means so much on so many levels.”
