A geyser alert; the greening of Yellowstone..whod'a thunk? In 1995, Xanterra Parks & Resorts took over ownership and management of hotels and restaurants in many state and national parks in the United States. From the Everglades to Yellowstone, the company prides itself on making it easier for 1870s travelers to eat well and travel comfortably in the wild, wild west. But these days, Xanterra also believes that such comfort and tourism should not come at the expense of the environment.
By 2015, Xanterra plans to reduce its fossil fuel use and gas emissions in the 25 parks, resorts and conference centers it is affiliated with by thirty percent . They also plan to increase ”sustainable cuisine” purchases to fifty percent of all “company wide food expenditures.” In their 2005 Sustainability Report, the company states that it made $1.4 million in sustainable cuisine purchases in 2004, up from $22,765 in 2001.
Xanterra’s Sustainability program began in 2000 with a sustainable seafood policy based on the Monterey Bay Aquarium Seafood Watch program and the Audubon’s Living Oceans Seafood Guide. Xanterra has extended these principles each year and now uses Oregon Country Natural Beef and buys organic fair trade certified coffee. They also joined the Chefs Collaborative, which works with chefs to promote sustainable food by cooking fresh and scrumptious meals with it.