The Chamber’s MWV Pledge, a ten-principle credo visitors and locals can sign, works to educate and inspire people to preserve the area’s natural resources.

The Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce invites visitors and locals alike to double-down on their commitment to preserving and protecting the White Mountains.

As the state of New Hampshire’s Outdoor Economy sector continues to grow at such a fast pace, the rate at which its constituents must keep up with education and awareness for what it takes to preserve such natural resources within the Mt. Washington Valley’s outdoor space, must grow as well.

To this end the Mt. Washington Valley has created the MWV Pledge. This ten-principle responsibility code is a hybrid of the Icelandic Pledge, implemented and perpetuated by the eco-savvy tourism bureau in Iceland; the seven Leave No Trace Principles, a well-known list on how to behave when recreating in the outdoors; and the Granite State Promise, a credo on safe, and responsible travel to New Hampshire.

The MWV Pledge encompasses safety precautions and responsibility tenets that cover how to preserve the land and trails; how to treat one another in shared spaces; how to protect state’s wildlife and the indigenous flora and fauna, as well as how to preserve the state’s waterways. Visitors and locals alike are encouraged to visit www.mwvpledge.com, and sign their name to the pledge, and promise to preserve and protect the White Mountains, and its natural resources so we can protect it for years to come.

To that end, the chamber is perpetuating the MWV Pledge through its various online channels; including its website, social media and newsletter distribution. It’s also being distributed through The Valley Originals. The local restaurant group, made-up of over 20 restaurants, is collaborating closely with the chamber on this initiative, by placing posters of the pledge in highly visible areas and on tables within its restaurants. Community members will also see posters hung in various retail shops, and participating lodging properties will also begin sharing the pledge with their guests.

The Town of Gotham has also embraced the MWV Pledge, and is sharing materials with members of its community to spread the message far, and wide.

The MWV Age Friendly Steering Committee, and its Outdoor Spaces sub-committee will also be laminating thirty MWV Pledge posters to hang at trail heads that are a part of the Gibson Center’s “age friendly” trail network.

A hiking group made up of out-of-state hikers hailing from southern New Hampshire, Maine, and Massachusetts also caught wind of the MWV Pledge program. Its members rallied together in late September to distribute materials to each retailer in North Conway Village, Settlers Green, Settlers Crossing and Settlers Streetside. Going by the name of “Dirtbaggers” this hiking group is made up of members ranging in age from those in their teens to those that are retired. They all share an appreciation for the White Mountains and “spending time with loved ones without distractions in such a beautiful environment,” is one reason Amelia, the group's leader, shares as to why it is passionate about hiking in the valley, and helping to preserve it. Distributing the MWV Pledge materials also provided community service hours for the high school students of this hiking group.

Any school looking to provide community service opportunities or businesses that would like to receive a point of sale display or posters may call the chamber at 603-356-5701 and talk to Executive Director, Janice Crawford.  All items are free, the chamber just ask that businesses keep them continually displayed throughout the year.

“We’re working hard to share the message of responsible tourism as people flock to the Mt. Washington Valley for all it has to offer in terms of outdoor recreation,” says Janice Crawford, Executive Director of the Mt. Washington Valley Chamber of Commerce. “We’re proud to be a part of such a thriving market for tourism, but with that comes great responsibility. The chamber is serious about pushing the MWV Pledge, and working toward making a community shift when it comes to sustainable tourism, that will hopefully be felt throughout the region, and the country. After all, there is only one Mount Washington; we at the chamber want to be a part of protecting all that it encompasses in the valley.”

For more information on the MWV Pledge, visit www.mwvpledge.com, and explore the chamber’s new website, www.visitmwv.com. Social media users can also explore the hashtag #mwvpledge on instagram and find posts pertaining to the MWV Pledge on both its instagram, and its Facebook.

‍