November 9, 2007 (Boulder, Colo.) – Whether it’s because of a change in mindset or pressure from society in general, the development of recreational trails is becoming much more environmentally conscious. And that’s helping wildlife, vegetation, and – perhaps ironically – developers’ pocketbooks.

“What’s new in the business of recreation really should have been old,” says John Frado, one of two principals of Nordic Group International a trails and land planning firm based in Boulder, Colorado, and Winchester, New Hampshire. “What’s new are the watchwords we have today – such as sustainability, green construction, and environmental stewardship – all of which our company has been doing for decades.”

“We’re starting to see more environmental consciousness on the part of developers, resorts, and municipalities,” says Nordic Group International principal Jonathan Wiesel. “There’s more interest and receptiveness to the approaches we’ve been practicing and preaching.”

Nordic Group International (NGI) specializes in multi-season/multi-use trails, including site evaluations, master plans, trail design, and operational development. More information about the company and its principals is available at NGI’s new web site, www.nordicgroupinternational.com.

“When we say that recreational trails need to be ‘green built,’ it means that we pay a good deal of attention to the vegetation on the sides of the trails… we make sure drainage is perfect, so we’re not interrupting the natural flow of water… we look at wildlife usage patterns… and a number of other things,” says Frado.

While NGI’s principals point out that developing trails in an environmentally conscious, sustainable way is initially more expensive, it unquestionably pays off in longer-lasting trails and decreased maintenance costs from erosion. They say that smart developers understand that this approach actually saves them money – so going green is becoming market driven, in that it makes economic sense.

Just as important, though, it’s an approach that’s being driven by society’s increasing awareness of environmental issues.

“For example – and this happened probably 20 years ago now – owners of a large U.S. ski resort decided they wanted to put in a new ski lift. So they went ahead and cut down a lot of trees to do it… trees that were on public land,” Wiesel says. “Even though it was illegal, wiping out all those trees raised hardly a peep. It would be a very different situation today.”

For more information on this story, please contact NGI’s Jonathan Wiesel (see below). Also, an audio interview with NGI Principals Wiesel and Frado can be heard here.

NOTE: An additional news angle of interest to business- and real estate-oriented writers is that real estate developers and resorts are recognizing that cross-country ski (and multi-use) trails make it easier to sell property – and at higher prices. (See Jonathan Wiesel’s Ski Area Management article here.