TALLAHASSEE, FLA.—Earlier this year, the State of Florida suggested a major reduction in the size of its Florida Green Lodging Program as part of state-wide budget cuts. Those cuts have been made and as of July 1, the program will still exist but on a much smaller scale. According to an article appearing in the Orlando Business Journal, four people have been dedicated to the program at a cost of $337,000. Beginning July 1, however, just one person will manage it at a cost of $63,000. To become a designated Green Lodging property in the past, the property had to pass an on-site inspection. That will no longer be the case. According to the Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP), which runs the program, only “selected facility assessments will be done on a regular basis.”
On its website, the DEP says the restructured program “will not only save the state money but will continue to recognize the industry’s achievements while strengthening the program’s environmental performance and improving customer service.” Program improvements, the DEP says, will include:
• A streamlined online application process.
• A more robust set of best management practices that will give properties the ability to customize their conservation efforts. The practices will be listed online with helpful supporting documents to aide in achieving designation quicker.
• DEP hosted webinars to provide technical assistance and ongoing education to property staff.
• Additional online marketing and educational tools that will be available in multiple languages.
To participate in the Florida Green Lodging Program, a lodging facility submits an application and completes a self-assessment. The self-assessment details the environmentally friendly practices necessary to meet the standards of the program. Properties can earn from one to three palms. Beginning July 1, the Green Lodging designation will be valid for three years from the date of issuance for new participants with the requirement that properties submit environmental performance data in the categories of water, waste and energy annually. To renew designation, facilities must implement at least two new environmental practices. In addition, properties will be required to conduct, and document, ongoing employee education to ensure all personnel are implementing best management practices.
As of June 12, there were 520 designated Green Lodging properties in Florida. In the last two years, participation in the Green Lodging Program has increased significantly. Growth was sparked by Governor Charlie Crist’s 2007 Executive Orders and 2008’s House Bill 7135 which requires all state agencies to contract with hotels that have received the Florida Green Lodging Program designation.
Go to Florida Green Lodging.
Glenn Hasek can be reached at editor@greenlodgingnews.com.
