Xanterra wins recognition for environmental commitment

The National Park Service has given its 2008 Environmental Achievement Award to resort operators Xanterra Parks & Resorts for the company's operations in Death Valley National Park.

The award recognizes Xanterra's installation of a five-acre, one-megawatt solar photovoltaic system that generates more than a third of the annual electricity needs of the company's operations in Death Valley, which includes the historic Furnace Creek Inn, Furnace Creek Ranch, Furnace Creek Golf Course, employee offices and housing.

"Our company's environmental mission is to find every way we can to reduce waste and conserve energy, while at the same time balancing economic viability with ecological responsibility," said Andrew N. Todd, president and CEO of Xanterra. "We consider it an honor when our client — the National Park Service — agrees that we are doing an award-winning job."

According to Denver-based Xanterra, its facility is one of the largest private PV energy systems in the nation and the largest in U.S. tourism.

The company is seen as an environmental leader in the hospitality industry because of its initiatives to cut greenhouse gasses, construct buildings that earn LEED certification, and chart its environmental progress through third-party certified sustainability reports.

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