Parks aim to reduce visitor emissions, their own

2009-06-23 14:38:05 -

MOUNT RAINIER NATIONAL PARK, Washington (AP) - Officials at national parks across the U.S. are trying to reduce their greenhouse gas emissions by cleaning up their operations, with the help of federal stimulus dollars.
Visitors to Hawaii Volcanoes National Park may soon hop on hydrogen-powered shuttles, while those visiting parts of Golden Gate National Recreation Area in California will find mostly organic food grown within 30 miles (50 kilometers) rather than shipped from across the country. Rocky Mountain National Park in Colorado runs shuttles so backpackers don't have to drive to trailheads. Other parks such as Wisconsin's Apostle Islands National Lakeshore are asking visitors to do their part with tours, education programs and public awareness campaigns.
«We're basically trying, without hitting people over the head, to say this is an issue,» said Bob Krumenaker, Apostle Islands' superintendent.
The National Park Service and the Environmental Protection Agency have started the Climate Friendly Parks network program to help parks address climate change. Parks must measure their amounts of emissions, come up with plans to curb them and educate the public on what they can do to help.
Seventeen parks, including the Everglades in Florida and Fire Island National Seashore in New York, have already created plans. Sixty parks are developing their own plans.
«We know we have to green our own house,» said Sonya Capek, the Pacific West region's environmental program coordinator. «It's part of our mission to protect and preserve the resources.
National parks, like other federal agencies, have already been under orders to reduce energy and gasoline use. But the Obama administration has pushed greening parts of government further, including replacing government fleets with more fuel-efficient cars and trucks.
Parks are turning down thermostats and sealing windows, providing loaner bikes to employees and installing food composting and recycling bins.
One recent morning at Mount Rainier, workers climbed atop the park's emergency operations center and installed 48 solar panels to provide energy to the building. They have also added dual-flush toilets that reduce water use and use electric vehicles to pick up trash at campgrounds.
«The goal is really to knock (down) our carbon footprint,» said Jim Fuller, the park's energy coordinator.
Each year, Mount Rainier creates greenhouse gas emissions equal to about 1,100 households. Visitors to Mount Rainier account for two-thirds of the 12,170 metric tons the park emits each year, mostly in driving to the park and inside it.
Federal stimulus dollars are giving national parks a boost in their efforts. Of $750 million for national parks, there's stimulus money for energy-efficient windows at Alabama's Russell Cave, wind turbines at Alaska's Gates of the Arctic and solar panels at Georgia's Cumberland Island.
Rainier acting superintendent Randy King said the park doesn't want to discourage visitors. «It's very important that people enjoy the parks and make a personal connection.» So the park is looking in-house first to conserve where it can.
«We need to set a good example and do what we can,» he said.
Climate Friendly Parks: www.nps.gov/climatefriendlyparks