Snowmass Village discusses sustainability projects with new coordinator

Snowmass Town Council discussed three potential sustainability projects for summer 2026 Monday, spanning wildfire mitigation, waste diversion and compost expansion.

The conversation was spearheaded by the new Snowmass Village Sustainability Coordinator Elyse Hottel, who has been in the position for two months. Hottel shared recent wildfire modeling data, which was gathered in collaboration with local nonprofit Wildfire Collaborative Roaring Fork Valley and lead climate researchers from Vanderbilt University. 

“We used the data modeling to zero in on where to focus our resources and those precious dollars,” Hottel said during the session. “We’re promoting two-way communication between residents and town leadership. We really want them to be aware of what’s going on and to support those crews.”

Collected using ignition points and wind variables, the modeling showed how a wildfire can spread throughout the village, highlighting the need to prioritize fire mitigation work. The town has accumulated $1 million to fund the work and is currently in the process of contracting mitigation crews, according to Hottel. 

Based on the data and tight resources, crews will prioritize common areas in the village. 

The mitigation work comes after an especially dry spring, according to Hottel, which has heightened risks going into wildfire season. Over the next few weeks, the town will also be conducting modeling for smoke and evacuation routes. 

Hottel also discussed a potential construction debris diversion project, noting that debris diversion, especially with large construction projects, is helpful to avoid putting strain on the Pitkin County Solid Waste Center. Recycling or reusing building materials can reduce landfill emissions and cut down on the energy being used to produce new materials. 

Hottel pointed out that many local construction companies and general contractors are already familiar with tracking diverted materials and understanding the risks of not sorting the material properly. Research efforts to understand best practices for debris diversion are underway, with one area of focus being learning from programs that have already been set in place by Pitkin County and the city of Aspen. 

A formal debris diversion program proposal for Snowmass has not yet been outlined.

“This is important and we can see the big (construction) projects coming, so this needs to be something that we make some movement on in the next year or sooner,” Council Member Britta Gustafson said during the session. 

Council also discussed expanding the town’s composting program and acknowledged that there is a lot of potential for growth within the system, especially for restaurant and business-related food waste. 

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The current residential program, which was established in 2022, has received significant support from residents, according to Council Member Cecily DeAngelo. However, there is room for improvement in terms of convenience, as there is only one drop-off location in Snowmass, at the Public Works Facility.

“Composting is one of the things that is brought up with me most frequently from residents,” DeAngelo said. “People are asking for a way that they can participate in reducing greenhouse gasses on a daily or weekly basis that isn’t driving out of their way to drop off the waste.”

Further composting analysis is in the works. 

To learn more about the town’s sustainability efforts, visit https://www.tosv.com/245/Environmental-Health.