ISLAMORADA, FLA.—Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) South District Director Jon Iglehart announced that Lookout Lodge Resort in the Florida Keys has been added to the Florida Green Lodging Program. The property is the 200th designation in the program and the first combined Green Lodging and Clean Marina property. Both voluntary initiatives are administered through DEP to help facilities go “clean and green” by adopting cost-saving practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources.
“With Florida’s hotels serving more than 35 million guests annually and more than one million registered boats on our waters, the lodging and marine industries play a tremendous role in helping to protect Florida’s natural resources and boosting our economy,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “The Lookout Lodge Resort sets the bar for other small businesses to ‘go green’ by implementing both lodging and marina practices that reduce waste, conserve energy and protect Florida’s waterways.”
The 10-room property implemented a variety of green practices to receive the Florida Green Lodging Program designation. The property installed Energy Star rated equipment, energy-efficient lighting, and tinted/double-paned windows and timers on outdoor lighting. These steps reduced its greenhouse gas emissions as well as its utility costs. The hotel implemented a towel and linen reuse program as well as low-flow faucets and showerheads. In addition, Lookout Lodge Resort has nine boats slips and has been a designated member of the Florida Clean Marina Program since 2006.
Small Steps Can Make a Difference
“Lookout Lodge Resort is very proud to participate in both the Florida Green Lodging and Florida Clean Marina Programs,” said Don Zinner, president of Islamorada Sunset Investments, LLC. “Although we are a small property, we believe we have a duty to protect our natural resources and be part of the environmental solution. As we are now encouraging our guests to ‘think green,’ we hope to encourage other lodging properties and marinas, whether 10 rooms or 1,000 rooms, to be part of the solution with us.”
Launched in March 2004 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida Green Lodging Program establishes environmental guidelines for hotels and motels to conserve natural resources and prevent pollution. In 2007, Governor Crist signed three executive orders initiating state energy-use policies, including one that requires state agencies and departments to hold meetings and conferences only at hotels with the Florida Green Lodging Program designation as of January 1, 2008, whenever possible. Go to www.dep.state.fl.us/greenlodging.
With more than one million registered motorized vessels in Florida, environmental education within marine industries is the first step toward safeguarding the state’s natural resources. By providing “green” education and alternatives, the Florida Clean Marina Program helps to ensure a sustainable future for the environment and the billion-dollar marine industry. For more information about the Florida Clean Marina Program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/cleanmarina.
