Travel Reference
In-Depth Information
SUSTAINABILITY
The Greening of Recreation
In recent years, snowmobile usage in both parks has been drastically reduced, though pro-
ponents decry its impact on winter tourism. In Yellowstone, snowmobilers are now only al-
lowed on professionally guided tours. In Grand Teton, use has been reduced to the frozen
Jackson Lake. Both parks require quieter and more efficient BAT (best available techno-
logy) snow machines. In addition, the two-stroke engines of rental boats have been re-
placed with cleaner and more efficient four-stroke versions.
Park Innovation
When Yellowstone approached its 125th anniversary in 1997, the park began planning for
the next 125 years. One result was Yellowstone Environmental Stewardship (YES!), an am-
bitious project aiming to reduce greenhouse gases by 30%, electrical consumption by 15%,
fossil fuel consumption by 18%, water consumption by 15% and divert all solid waste from
landfills. Solar energy, composting and alternative fuels are a few ways the park has started
meeting these goals. In 2010 alone, it was able to divert 80% of solid waste from landfills.
Concessions are an area of major improve-
ment, with park concessionaire Xanterra em-
ploying corn-based biodegradables to help an-
nually divert over 280,000 plastic bottles from
landfills. Gift shops sell greener souvenirs and
dining services pitch in by serving fair-trade
coffee and naturally raised meats. In both Yel-
lowstone and Grand Teton, park employees use some hybrid vehicles. LEED-certified park
buildings also herald a new era, they include Xanterra employee housing and the new Old
Faithful Visitor Education Center, as well as the new Laurance S Rockefeller Visitor Center
in Grand Teton National Park.
To learn more about sustainable and ecofriendly
options in the region, check out National Geograph-
ic's 'sustainable visit' map at www.yel lowstonegeo
tourism.org.
