COMMENTARY: Mt. Pisgah, Climate Resilience, and the Power of Small Places

By Kelly Brunette, Village Trustee, Saranac Lake

When I was invited to participate in a regional case study on small-scale ski areas by the Northern Forest Center and graduate students from Yale’s School of the Environment, I said yes without hesitation.

Why? Because Mt. Pisgah—Saranac Lake’s modest, municipal ski hill—represents something far greater than the sum of its trails. It represents the resilience of rural communities, and the power of small places to deliver outsized impact.

The case study explored how community-driven ski areas like Pisgah are surviving—and even thriving—despite rising operational costs, a changing climate, and the slow disappearance of small hills across the Northeast. The report found what many of us already know: places like Pisgah are more than recreation assets. They’re hubs of belonging. They’re economic engines in winter towns. And increasingly, they’re a proving ground for climate adaptation.

As a Village Trustee and a North Country resident, tackling climate resiliency is not an abstract policy to me—it’s the frontline of good governance. Whether it’s hardening flood-prone infrastructure, making our public buildings more energy efficient, or preserving and expanding access to the outdoors through all seasons, I believe municipalities like ours have both the responsibility and the opportunity to lead.

Mt. Pisgah is already doing that. With snowmaking upgrades, a growing suite of summer uses, and community partnerships (thank you Friends of Mt. Pisgah!) that keeps programming affordable and inclusive, Pisgah models what sustainability looks like in practice: flexible, local, and deeply rooted.

At the Village level, I’m taking that approach to heart. Through our Capital Improvement Plan process and environmental initiatives, we’re asking how every investment we make—every sidewalk, park, and storm drain—can make Saranac Lake more resilient. It’s not always flashy work, but it’s foundational.

We may not be able to control global climate patterns from our village boardroom, but we can ensure that what we love about this place—our trails, our ice rinks, our gathering spaces, our ski hills—continues to be here for the next generation. That’s what resilience means to me. That’s why I show up. And that’s why Mt. Pisgah matters.

Photo at top provided by Kelly Brunette, Saranac Lake website photo.