DANBURY, NH - Trails blanketed with packed snow wind down Ragged Mountain, flanked on either side by rows of tall, green evergreen and pine trees. From above, you can barely see the base lodge where skiers gather before and after a day on the slopes. And the tracts of land near the base of the mountain - 18 golf holes - blend into the landscape.

The new owners of Ragged Mountain Resort would like to keep it that way. Despite their plans to spend millions of dollars on revamping the golf course, renovating and expanding the resort buildings and developing hundreds of slopeside homes, they plan to work with some of the top land planners and conservationists in the country to do it in an environmentally responsible way.They also hope to become the first property in New Hampshire certified by Audubon International's Signature Program, which will guide the resort's land planners through the design and construction phase of the expansion and help them protect the mountain's wildlife, habitat and natural resources.

Gerald Jackson, one of the three principals of the company that bought the resort last year, said participating in the program is "just good business.""It's totally compatible with our vision, which is to take good care of the land and to promote biodiversity and ecosystem management and to restore whatever damage has been done in the past," Jackson said.Utah-based RMR Pacific LLC purchased Ragged Mountain in May after the previous owners narrowly avoided bankruptcy and foreclosure. The resort needed a lot of work, but Jackson and his partners had a lot of experience revamping and building ski resorts throughout the Northwest. They brought in a ski industry veteran, Bob Fries, to take over as resort president, and they sank $2 million into long overdue maintenance last summer.

As they prepared to head into the planning of the first major phase of the project - redesigning the 18-hole golf course - they decided to turn to Audubon International for guidance.The group is not affiliated with the National Audubon Society, which focuses on bird conservation, but rather is a land stewardship program that promotes sustainability. (The group is one of several that has branched off from the original Audubon Society.)Audubon International works with any type of land conservation group to protect properties of all types and sizes, including backyards, business properties, schools, golf courses and any type of land that is targeted for development.

Ragged applied in November for acceptance into the Silver Signature Sanctuary Program, which will guide planners who are preparing a property for more than one land use. In Ragged's case, the mountain will include a ski area, golf course and hundreds of new condominiums and houses. The program requires applicants to apply during the planning stages, and may reject any project where land clearing or building has already begun.Ragged was accepted into the program in December and Jackson said he is working with representatives from Audubon International to schedule an initial site visit.The program coordinators may visit the site five or six times during the planning and construction phases to help the developers make decisions about the expansion.Audubon's environmental planning department will create a Natural Resource Management Plan for Ragged, which will act as an operations manual for the property. It will include chapters on site characterization, environmental planning, pest management, water conservation and water quality management, waste management, energy conservation, wildlife conservation, outreach and education.

The first phase of the development, which includes a $6 million redesign of the course, may begin within the next few months.Brad Booth, the architect hired to revamp the course, said Audubon will act as a voice for the natural resources around the course to help enhance the environment, not inhibit it. The group will also look at any foreseeable drainage issues and habitat issues that may arise from restructuring the landscape.Booth - who founded the golf course design firm Faxon and Booth with PGA golfer Brad Faxon - said the golf course design philosophy has become much more focused on naturalization in recent years. It's a design that golfers find in older courses that have maintained the landscape and habitat around them.And it is part of a bigger experience that many golfers can't quite put their finger on, but know they enjoy, he said."Playing golf is not simply a game of score," Booth said. "It's a physical experience and also a sensual experience, in the sense that there's all this stuff around you. All of that enhances the quality and pleasure of actually playing the game."It also makes sense from a business perspective, Jackson said.

The PGA Golf Club in Florida, certified as a Signature Sanctuary, has saved 25 percent in overall operating costs by using equipment recommended by the program, according to information provided by Audubon International. They also save 100 million gallons of water each year by collecting the runoff in 80 acres of storage ponds. And Sand Ridge Golf Club in Ohio has saved nearly $30,000 a year on the cost of chemicals, labor and equipment by turning 50 unused acres of the golf course into open fields for wildlife.

The registration fee for the Silver Signature Sanctuary program is $9,500, and Ragged must pay an annual membership fee of $500. It does not include separate charges for the services provided by Audubon's environmental planning department, which are determined on a case-by-case basis and may cost thousands of dollars.Now that Ragged has been accepted into the program, it may take several years before it achieves certification, Jackson said.

Some of the minimum requirements for certification include installing a proper irrigation system, preparing a pest management plan, building a proper maintenance facility, protecting wildlife and water quality after construction and designing and managing the development in a way that minimizes maintenance."Once we get there, we have to stay there," Jackson said.Ragged hopes to rebuild seven holes on the golf course this summer and finish the rest next year. Most of the course will be playable, Jackson said.The resort has not filed any permit applications with the Danbury planning board, but Jackson said the owners are keeping the town updated on their planning efforts. He said it could be at least another year before the resort breaks ground on any potential real estate.A booth at the base of the mountain was built earlier this year to provide information to prospective buyers, and Jackson said it has generated a lot of interest.

The entire resort expansion, which may include more ski trails and nature trails, a fitness center, a new day lodge, homes and condos, and other four-season amenities, could cost more than $10 million and take between five and 10 years to build.When the plans are under way, Jackson hopes the entire development project will generate the interest among other resorts who may look into conservation and resource management plans for themselves."Let's hope that we set a good example.".