HARTFORD, CONN.—Yet another state will soon have its own green lodging program. Thanks to the efforts of the Connecticut Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) and the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism, Connecticut Green Lodging will launch in May. The program is being put together with the assistance of Peter Cooke, program manager for Maine’s Green Lodging Certification Program. The Connecticut program will mirror the one run in Maine but will be modified to meet Connecticut state government requirements.
According to Kim Trella, supervising environmental analyst for Connecticut’s DEP, planning started two years ago when hoteliers in the state lobbied for the creation of a green lodging program. The new program is being funded through a federal grant from the Environmental Protection Agency that the Connecticut DEP receives annually for its Pollution Prevention initiatives. Approximately 500 hotels, motels, inns and bed and breakfasts will be eligible to participate in Connecticut Green Lodging.
Participating properties will be required to complete a self-certification workbook. Very similar to Maine’s workbook, it will ask participants to detail what they are doing in areas such as housekeeping, waste management, landscaping and maintenance, water conservation, energy management, environmental education, measurement and local purchasing. Participants earning 100 points will qualify for an automatic certification for two years. In two years they will need to increase the point total to 130 to be eligible for a recertification. Those properties that score below 100 points will be eligible for a provisional certification. Connecticut’s DEP will provide technical assistance to help any property improve its score.
On-site Verification Not a Requirement
Trella says she has a staff of four who will help to run Connecticut Green Lodging. On-site verification will not be a mandatory requirement but random site verification will occur. Those sites that do have an on-site visit will be given advance notice. Officials from the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism will be invited to participate in site visits.
“The visits will be done on a cooperative, voluntary basis,” Trella says. “Our goal is to encourage best practices and provide as much helpful information as we can.”
Those properties that participate in Connecticut Green Lodging will be given decals to display, will be allowed to use the Green Lodging logo for advertising, and will be noted in the 2010 Connecticut Vacation Guide as a provider of green lodging. The guide will be distributed at Connecticut’s visitor centers. Green lodgings will be listed on the DEP’s Pollution Prevention website and may also be listed on the Connecticut Commission on Culture & Tourism site.
For more information on Connecticut Green Lodging, contact Kim Trella at kim.trella@ct.gov, or by phone at (860) 424-3234.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
