Xanterra parks & resorts expands environmental honor roll

DENVER — Concessioner Xanterra Parks & Resorts continues to garner recognition for its environmental achievements. The company has received several new environmental achievement awards, and has launched an ambitious list of environmental goals the company intends to achieve by 2015.

Xanterra operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions in national and state parks and resorts throughout the country.

• Xanterra has become recognized as an environmental leader in the hospitality industry by becoming the first in the industry to pursue the following environmental initiatives by being:
• The first hospitality company and the eighth company worldwide to commit to an absolute reduction target in greenhouse gas (carbon dioxide) emissions through a partnership with the World Wildlife Fund and the Center for Energy & Climate Solutions. Xanterra is already halfway to meeting that goal.
• The first park hospitality company to receive the U.S. Green Building Council’s Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design (LEED) certification. This includes a LEED Silver rating at Crater Lake National Park for the Annie Creek restaurant and retail building and LEED certification at Yellowstone National Park employee housing.
• The first national park hospitality company to publish a Sustainability Report, and the only tourism company to have such a report third-party certified.
• The first park hospitality company to publish and implement its own Guidelines for Environmentally Sustainable Design and Construction of buildings in national parks.
• Among the first U.S. hospitality companies to receive the prestigious ISO 14001 International Environmental Management System Standard Certification for all of its national park operations.
• The first U.S. hospitality company to be granted the “Chain of Custody” certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) to ensure sales of sustainably fished wild salmon.
• The first U.S. hospitality company to ban certain types of fish species deemed harmful to the environment because of harvesting practices or low species populations.
• One of only a few hospitality companies to use renewable wind energy to power a portion of electricity demands (at seven national park locations).
• The first, and possibly the only, U.S. hospitality company to track, normalize and report all natural resource usage and waste generation at all locations through a computerized tracking system.
• The first park hospitality company to set and publicly disclose long-range environmental sustainability goals.
• One of only a few hospitality companies to use large-scale renewable solar photovoltaic systems to power portions of electricity demands.
• The first park hospitality company to develop an internal CAFÉ standard to improve efficiency of fleet vehicles.
• One of a few hospitality companies using renewable, clean-burning biodiesel in boilers and vehicles.
• One of the few national park concessioners in the country to achieve Clean Marina Certification at two locations.
• The only company in 2006 out of more than 400 National Environmental Performance Track partners to receive the Corporate Leader award from the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA).
• Achieved the designation of “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS) for the Furnace Creek Golf Course in Death Valley National Park.
• The first concessioner (along with several partners including the NPS) to pioneer the development of a mobile propane bottle recycling unit that recycles camper propane bottles and uses the waste fuel to power the unit.
• The first concessioner to develop sustainable “Green Suites” for guests.
• One of only a few hospitality companies to recycle great on-site into biodiesel for use in fleet vehicles.

Long-Term Goals

Xanterra has created a series of long-term goals – called its “2015 Environmental Vision.” These ambitious goals include:

• Decrease fossil fuel usage by 30 percent (baseline year 2000).
• Increase usage of renewable energy to provide seven percent of total electricity consumed.
• Decrease greenhouse gas emissions by 30 percent (baseline year 2000).
• Divert from landfill 50 percent of all solid waste generated.
• Increase purchases of sustainable food items to 50 percent of all companywide food expenditures.
• Achieve companywide CAFÉ (corporate average fuel economy) standard of 35 miles per gallon (EPA rated combined city and highway) for all passenger vehicles (under 10 persons) purchased annually.
• Generate zero hazardous waste.
• Decrease water usage by 25 percent (baseline year 2003).

Certifications

• Clean Marina Certification, Everglades National Park, Xanterra operations (2006); Maumee Bay State Park Marina, Xanterra operations (2006).
• US Green Building Council Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) Certification, Yellowstone employee housing (2004).
• US Green Building Council LEED Silver Certification, Annie Creek Restaurant and Retail, Crater Lake National Park (2006).
• Marine Stewardship Council “Chain of Custody” certification for serving sustainable wild Alaska salmon (2003).
• Environmental Protection Agency, National Environmental Performance Track: Zion National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Grand Canyon North Rim, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, Grand Canyon South Rim, Crater Lake National Park.
• EPA Energy Star Partner, Xanterra Parks & Resorts (2003).
• ISO 14001 EMS Certification, Mount Rushmore National Memorial (2002), Zion National Park (2003), Bryce Canyon National Park (2003), Grand Canyon North Rim (2003), Crater Lake National Park (2004), Death Valley National Park (2004), Grand Canyon South Rim (2004), Yellowstone National Park (2004), Petrified Forest National Park (2004), Everglades National Park (2004/5).

Honors and Awards

2007:

• Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Achievement Award, Yellowstone National Park
• Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS), Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary, Furnace Creek Golf Course, Death Valley
• Arizona Department of Environmental Quality (ADEQ), Performance Track, Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C. (Grand Canyon South Rim)
• Napa County, Napa County Green Awards, Silverado Resort

2006:

• Environmental Protection Agency, Environmental Achievement Award, EPA Region 8, Yellowstone National Park
• Department of Interior, Environmental Achievement Award winner, Yellowstone National Park and Concessioner
• Employees, Montana and Wyoming Departments of Environmental Quality, and Environmental Protection Agency, Region 8, Environmental Stewardship at Yellowstone National Park and the Greater Yellowstone area.
• Department of Interior, Environmental Achievement Award (Honorable Mention), Zion National Park, Environmental Stewardship at Xanterra Zion Lodge.
• National Park Service, Environmental Achievement Award, Zion Lodge, Zion National Park
• National Registry of Environmental Professionals, 2006 NREP Environmental Health and Safety Management Systems, Infrastructure, and Training Award Winner, Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
• Environmental Protection Agency, National Environmental Performance Track Corporate Leader Award for exceptional environmental performance, Xanterra Parks & Resorts
• Environmental Protection Agency, Green Purchasing Gold Achievement Award, WasteWise program, Xanterra South Rim
  National Park Service, Environmental Achievement Award winner, Zion Lodge Environmental programs, Xanterra Parks & Resorts at Zion National Park.
• National Park Service, Environmental Achievement Award Honorable Mention, Yellowstone National Park, NPS and Concessioner Team Efforts for Waste Reduction.

2005:

• American Hotel & Lodging Association, Stars of the Industry, Good Earthkeeping Award, Yellowstone National Park.
• Hospitality Sales & Marketing Association International, Adrian Award for Green Marketing, Xanterra Parks & Resorts
• National Park Service, Environmental Achievement Award, Yellowstone National Park (LEED-certified housing)
• Environmental Design & Construction Magazine, Innovation in Design Award, Yellowstone National Park (LEED-certified housing)
• Hazardous Materials Management Association, Environmental Excellence Award, Yellowstone National Park (LEED-certified housing)
• ColoradoBiz Magazine, Top Tourism and Hospitality Company, Xanterra Parks & Resorts

2004:

• Charter Institute of Environmental Health (Great Britain), International Green Apple Award, Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
• American Society of Travel Agents, Environmental Achievement Award, Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
• Colorado Department of Public Health and Environment, Environmental Achievement Award, Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
• State of Arizona, Governor’s Pride in Arizona Award, Xanterra South Rim (Grand Canyon).
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Achievement Award, Zion and Yellowstone National Parks.
• Utah Department of Environmental Quality, Outstanding Achievement in Pollution Prevention, Zion National Park.
• Travel Industry Association, Finalist, Odyssey Award for Environmental Performance, Xanterra Parks & Resorts.
• Conde Nast Magazine, Ecotourism Award (Honorable Mention), Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.
• National Park Service, Environmental Achievement Award (First Place), Xanterra South Rim, L.L.C.
• National Park Service, Environmental Achievement Award (Honorable Mention), Zion National Park.

Other Awards:

• State of Arizona’s Governor’s Tourism Award, Arizona Preservation Award, Xanterra South Rim, 2003.
• National Park Service, Environmental Achievement Award (Honorable Mention), Mount Rushmore National Memorial, 2003.
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Achievement Award, Death Valley National Park, 2002.
• National Park Service, Environmental Achievement Award (Honorable Mention), Yellowstone and Grand Canyon South Rim.

2002.

• Environmental Protection Agency (Region 9), Superior Environmental Performance Award for Business, Grand Canyon South Rim, 2002.
• Environmental Protection Agency (Region 9), Superior Environmental Performance Award for Business, Death Valley National Park, 2002.
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Achievement Award (Honorable Mention), Xanterra Parks & Resorts, 2002.
• State of New York, Energy Smart Small Commercial Lighting Award, Gideon Putnam Resort and Spa, 2002.
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Achievement Award, Mount Rushmore National Memorial, 2002.
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Achievement Award, Yellowstone National Park, 2002.
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Achievement Award, Grand Canyon South Rim, 2002.
• U.S. Department of the Interior, Environmental Achievement Award, Zion National Park, 2002.
• Travel Industry Association, Odyssey Award for Environmental Performance, Xanterra Parks & Resorts, 2002.
• Environmental Protection Magazine, Facility of the Year (Honorable Mention), Grand Canyon South Rim, 2002.