DEATH VALLEY NATIONAL PARK, CALIF.—The Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort in Death Valley National Park has been accepted into the Environmental Protection Agency’s Performance Track program. The EPA’s Performance Track program recognizes top environmental performers that commit to “sound environmental management, continuous improvement, public outreach and sustained environmental compliance.”
According to the EPA, Performance Track members demonstrate in their daily business operations that economic prosperity and environmental protection go hand in hand. Members of the EPA Performance Track Program receive incentives such as public recognition and low inspection priority. Members are also eligible for several kinds of administrative flexibility and streamlined administrative requirements that reduce costs and enable members to achieve better environmental results.
Furnace Creek’s goals for 2007 include:
• Decreasing water consumption by 8 percent of its 2003 baseline;
• Decreasing solid waste by increasing recycling by 43 percent over the 2003 baseline;
• Decreasing electricity usage by 3 percent of its 2003 baseline;
• Procuring two sustainable retail items in the general store; and
• Adding two sustainable food items to the menu.
Furnace Creek Golf Course in Death Valley National Park recently achieved the designation “Certified Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary” from the Audubon Cooperative Sanctuary System (ACSS), the educational division of Audubon International. Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort also participates in the Southern California Edison demand bidding program. During high demand periods when the electric company’s resources are
expensive, the resort reduces electric usage by 150 kilowatts.
The Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort is managed by Xanterra Parks & Resorts. The company was selected by the Environmental Protection Agency as the 2006 Performance Track Corporate Leader. Xanterra was the only company to receive the recognition that year and was only the fourth company to receive the designation since its creation in 2004. Xanterra’s environmental management program, called Ecologix, has earned
recognition from a variety of industry and environmental organizations for its depth and success. The company uses its own highly refined performance metrics model—called Ecometrix—to define resource consumption on annual per-room night and per-dollar revenue bases.
Go to the Furnace Creek Inn & Ranch Resort.
