People flock during the winter to Vermont’s snowy peaks to ski, snowboard and enjoy other winter activities. Those peaks turn green in the summertime, but there’s still plenty to do at the state’s ski resorts.

At the Vermont Ski Areas Association’s 40th Anniversary Annual Meeting today, the industry trade group announced that Vermont’s ski resorts recorded 4,068,696 skier visits for the 2008–09 season.

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Despite the worst recession in decades, Vermont’s ski areas logged more than 4 million skier visits this season – 6 percent fewer than last season but far better than two years ago and on par with the rest of the country. The Vermont Ski Areas Association released its 2008–09 skier visit numbers Thursday at its 40th annual meeting held at Killington Resort. The state’s 20 alpine ski areas reported a total of 4,068,698 skier visits.

A long-awaited proposal to build a ski village at Killington is getting a cool initial reception. SP Land Co.’s plan calls for the construction of up to 3,554 housing units on the 408-acre development over the next 20 years.

As many small New England ski areas fight to stay open, Magic Mountain in southern Vermont is offering devoted patrons a chance to buy a piece of the mountain. Like other bare-bones resorts, Magic has struggled with costly maintenance, losing money, changing hands and even closing in the 1990s. Now, it’s looking to follow in the footsteps of Mad River Glen, which was the first U.S. ski area to become cooperatively owned in 1995.

In exchange for plunking down $3,000, owners will get a 20 percent discount on season passes, a say in how the mountain is run and a guarantee that the mountain will be open. So far, it has sent letters to about 800 people and heard back from a couple hundred who have expressed a sincere interest.

A rare opportunity to purchase one of the world’s classic ski resorts is reputed to currently be available. Stowe has spent hundreds of millions of dollars on improvements over the past few seasons, but the vast American International Group which owns the resort has been hit by the economic crisis and required government support to keep trading. They have now put the ski area on the market.

Read more on Want to buy a ski resort in Vermont?

Vermont won all of the award categories for environmental excellence at the National Ski Areas Association Convention’s Golden Eagle Awards this month.