�鶹app

A majority of professionals working in New Hampshire’s robust ski industry are concerned about the effects of climate change on the enterprise in the Granite State and believe more should be done, a new study from UNH’s Carsey School of Public Policy finds. The study indicates this shared unease suggests a readiness to adopt sustainable practices and advocate for industry-wide adaptations.

“Understanding the collective views of ski professionals on climate change is an important first step in working to preserve a vital industry to the state, and the region, as the ongoing trend of temperatures rising and winters shortening continues,” says study co-author , research associate professor in UNH’s Institute for the Study of Earth, Oceans, and Space.

The highlights the results of an online survey conducted in June 2025 with New Hampshire ski industry professionals to gain insight into how they perceive climate change. The researchers found that 85% of the survey respondents were either “alarmed” (42%) or “concerned” (43%) about climate change. These results were considerably higher than the national average of 54%. Only 6% of the ski industry respondents were “doubtful” about climate change, and 5% were “dismissive”.

“We were actually surprised to find that 85% of the survey respondents, who were all ski industry professionals in New Hampshire, had such strong concerns about climate change,” Burakowski says. “But it’s an indication that people overall are becoming increasingly worried about global warming, are more engaged with the issue, and are more supportive of solutions.”

The survey also showed that more than half (51%) of the respondents did not think the New Hampshire ski industry was doing enough to address climate change. Burakowski and co-author Jacklyn Tracy, an environmental studies student and captain of the ski team at Colby-Sawyer College, say these preliminary findings could point to a collective motivation to take more action, encouraging the industry to engage in sustainable practices by mitigating its own carbon footprint while also championing policies at the state and national level that can help stem the factors that are outside of the industry’s control.

“My hope is that the skiing community in New Hampshire recognizes that many of us share similar concerns about climate change,” says Burakowski. “I hope we can collectively take action to reduce fossil fueled greenhouse gas emissions, use and produce energy responsibly and efficiently, and strategize practices that protect our winters while sustaining our outdoor recreational economy.”

The brief notes that in the 2017-2018 season, an estimated 2.8 million people visit New Hampshire ski areas and spent about $384.2 million at ski resorts and surrounding areas. Ski-related tourism supports an estimated 10,000 seasonal jobs and 6,000 annual jobs in the Granite State.