Offset the Carbon Impacts of Your Vacation in Crested Butte and the Gunnison Valley

Visitors can have a carbon neutral vacation with a community challenge that turns recreation into carbon offsets

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association is developing a carbon neutral vacation program incentive within the CBGTrails app powered by TerraQuest. Visitors will be able to combat climate change with a community challenge that turns human powered recreation into carbon offsets in an effort to support a more sustainable tourism economy.

When people visit Gunnison-Crested Butte this spring or summer, their travel will add carbon to our atmosphere. Through this new program unique to the Gunnison Valley, visitors can now offset the environmental impact of their trip by recording a ride, hike, or run using the CBGTrails app. It is free and easy to use, and for every mile recorded, users offset 22 pounds of carbon. A 23 mile bike ride in the Gunnison Valley will turn a round trip drive from Denver into a carbon neutral trip.

Gunnison County is home to over 2 million acres of public lands spanning 5 wilderness areas, a national park, and the largest body of water in Colorado, providing endless outdoor adventure in its backyard. Visitors who record their human powered recreation in the app will contribute towards a community goal of offsetting 4,253 tonnes of carbon, which is over 9 million lbs of CO2.

Users will also be able to track their personal carbon offset as they work to equalize the carbon footprint of getting to the Gunnison Valley. Additionally, they will be able to see a graphic of all user activity in relation to the community goal, and how the carbon credits are being used. 100 miles of human powered activity will offset one tonne of carbon emissions! 

The Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association has already purchased UPCO2 tokens. These tokens enable qualified projects to turn their greenhouse gas reductions into tradable carbon credits. As trail miles originating in Gunnison County are tracked, the Association will retire or “burn” these tokens to support carbon offsetting projects. Users will be able to begin the carbon offset challenge on May 15, 2021. 

Download the CBGTrails app on your smartphone to get started! Users will also have access to the most complete trail maps of the Gunnison Valley no matter where you roam. For on the carbon offset program, and to learn more about what is happening in the Gunnison Valley visit Gunnison-CrestedButte.com.

The mission of the Gunnison-Crested Butte Tourism Association is to leverage local marketing district grant monies to grow overnight visitation revenues. The group also strives to diversify and develop the valley’s economy in a sustainable manner through leadership on the Sustainable Tourism and Outdoor Recreation Committee, support for Western Colorado University, and creation of entrepreneurial opportunities in the valley. 

~MTMP

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