Corporate Social Responsibility
In 2006, we began conducting research and due diligence to create a more formal social responsibility program. As a starting point to that program, we have developed and analyzed a list of “indicators of social responsibility.” These indicators were culled from the Global Reporting Initiative’s (GRI) indicators that the we felt were pertinent to Xanterra.
The indicators currently have been categorized as:
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Workforce conditions, including indicators such as employee benefits, training, diversity, and safety
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Community involvement, including indicators such as partnerships and volunteer hours
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Ethical sourcing, including indicators such as regional/American sourcing statistics, supplier accountability and ethics, and environmentally preferable procurement
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Environmental sustainability, which includes everything in this report
In late 2007 and 2008, Xanterra plans to gather data on these indicators as a foundation for creating a direction for a social responsibility program.
Supporting Advocacy Groups To Protect Parks
In 2006, we sought out a partnership to further our efforts in national park protection. A natural fit came in the form of the National Parks Conservation Association (NPCA). NPCA's only goal is to protect and enhance the ecological systems of national parks. With Xanterra's similar mission, we decided the best way we could support NPCA's efforts was to sponsor their annual fundraising event. Along the way, Xanterra donated and helped raise more than $175,000.
The event drew more than 600 guests, including Senators, Congressmen and National Park Service officials. The theme of the Washington, D.C. event was “Salute to the Parks: Protecting America’s Heritage.” The dinner honored U.S. Senator Dianne Feinstein for her on-going support of our national parks and Pulitzer Prize-winning author Dr. James McPherson for helping renew interest in historic Civil War sites.
We also intend to host the 2008 NPCA event this Spring.
During the last six years, Xanterra has collected more than $1.5 million to help the National Park Foundation as well as specific park foundations through a voluntary donation program of $1 per room night from guests and from sales of National Park Passes. The funds help the foundation support projects and programs in the park where the donation is made. Guests of the lodges have the option of not participating, or they may also make additional voluntary donations.
Xanterra also teamed with the Peregrine Fund and National Park Service to sell shirts to raise money for condor protection at the Grand Canyon. In the Spring of 2003, their efforts paid off; rangers spotted the first Condor chick to fledge at the park in a century.
Sourcing American Made Products
We always try to source products made in the U.S. for our gift shops, with a particular focus on regional sourcing. Our mission to provide memorable products for our guests now includes our “Made in the USA” campaign on retail merchandise. In addition, our buyers work with local craftsmen in each location, as is evident in the very high percentage of sales derived from Native American Handcrafts.
We also sell more environmentally preferable products than ever before – from apparel made of recycled fibers and gifts and jewelry made of recycled glass and copper, to “green” health and beauty aids offered in our camper stores. Where the industry has decided to make these items available, practical, and marketable, we have presented them to our guests. When our guests have shown that they are interested in buying such products, we have sourced more “green” products accordingly.
For example, for several years organically grown cotton T-shirts have been sold sparingly due to prohibitive prices, substandard quality, and limited colors. Today, Xanterra is able to procure a high quality T-shirt at advantageous pricing. Currently, Xanterra does not have the resources to actually monitor how that cotton is grown or certify that it meets organic standards. However, we do ensure that we only do business with credible suppliers whose reputations for honesty and integrity are well known.
For the last six years Xanterra has contacted vendors and suppliers on an annual basis to inquire about environmental practices. We have found most to be more than willing to assist in our mission. We currently request that all of our suppliers and vendors cut down on packaging. We have even worked with suppliers to devise new ways to package and ship products to our stores and coordinate take-back programs for shipping packaging. In addition, contractors and vendors doing business with Xanterra must ensure that all waste is disposed of responsibly.
In the future, Xanterra will attempt to better scrutinize suppliers and vendors. We are still defining what criteria are most important to us and establishing a timeline to reach an attainable goal for implementation. In 2008, we plan to develop an ethical sourcing questionnaire to give to our suppliers. This will give us a better understanding of which suppliers will cooperate with our efforts.
Volunteers Create Community At The Grand Canyon
While Xanterra South Rim employees are required to live in housing within the national park boundaries, most of them consider it one of the benefits of their jobs. Many also realize that with the beautiful scenery comes the responsibilities of protecting the natural environment and supporting the community in which they live. With a resident population that ranges from 2,500 to 3,500, the South Rim of Grand Canyon National Park fits the definition of a small town. To that end, Xanterra’s South Rim employee Green Team implemented an Ecologix Service Award program to encourage employees to volunteer for environmentally-related projects. This program continues to shine with more than 200 employees and their families logging almost 3,000 hours of volunteer work since 2004. Over 1,800 hours have been spent picking up litter both on the rim and in the canyon. Many hours have also been spent assisting local non-profit associations with projects such as Condor nest watching, invasive species removal, and forest canopy surveys.
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