Two facilities within Utah’s Zion National Park have earned LEED Silver certification — a first ever for a national park facility.
The Sentinel and The Watchmen hotel buildings earned the certification by providing electric vehicle charging stations, installing water-conserving plumbing fixtures, completing energy audits, carrying out efficiency measures as needed and creating an extensive green purchasing policy.
“Achieving LEED Silver is an example of the environmental commitment that the Zion National Park Lodge, and Xanterra as a whole, has put forth. We believe in doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do,” said Alex Rogers, sustainability manager for Zion National Park Lodge, in the Salt Lake Tribune. “We want to take care of the environment and the planet that takes care of us. The LEED Silver certification further exemplifies Xanterra’s commitment to sustainability and our efforts in protecting our natural resources.”
According to the Sierra Club, Zion is one of 106 national parks that have signed on to the Climate Friendly Parks Program, an agreement that pledges to reduce emissions from NPS fleet vehicles by 30% by 2020. Officials see electric transit as a step toward a greener future for their park.
Energy Management
Xanterra Parks & Resorts, official National Park Service concessionaire for Zion National Park, boasts several initiatives to better manage energy and reduce its carbon footprint, including:
- 100% Renewable Energy Offsets
- LED Nightlights in all motel rooms
- Recycled content carpet throughout Motel rooms
- ISO 14001 certification
- Reduced fleet by 23% in 2010, reduce fuel consumption by 43.2% in 2010
- Installed Melink Intelli-Hood in kitchen
- Winner of the Utah Department of Environmental Quality Pollution Prevention Association Outstanding Achievement Award for guest outreach
- Received Green Seal Lodging Certification (GS-33) Gold level, becoming one of only three hotels certified at that level
- 100% Off-Set of Overnight Guest Carbon emissions through renewable energy purchases
- First property to eliminate the sale of bottled water
- Provide each staff member with BPA-free water bottle
- Implemented a Green Cleaning Plan compliant with GS-42 standard
- Improved retail outreach on environmentally preferable products using a scorecard system
- Outreach signage on recycling and climate change were added to the restroom stalls in the lodge
- Park Beautification Day included participation of 6 employees who cleaned waste receptacles and collected litter
- Installed a re-circulating cooling water system for the walk-in coolers (water savings 800,000 gallons)
- Received Utah Pollution Prevention Association 2012 Meritorious Achievement Award