Zion National Park Lodge – the only “in-park” lodging at Zion National Park – has a new distinguishing feature: the lodge is now the first (and only) National Park operation to become LEED Silver certified for Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance.

LEED, or Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design, is the most widely used sustainable building rating system in the world. Available for virtually all building, community, and home project types, LEED provides a framework to create healthy, highly efficient and cost-saving buildings. The Existing Buildings: Operations and Maintenance LEED category applies to existing buildings

Xanterra Parks & Resorts, Inc. holds the contract to operate the Zion National Park Lodge, and the company has long put an emphasis on reducing environmental impact through sustainable business practices.

“Achieving LEED Silver is an example of the environmental commitment that the Zion National Park Lodge, and Xanterra as a whole, has put forth. We believe in doing the right thing because it is the right thing to do,” said Alex Rogers, Sustainability Manager for Zion National Park Lodge. “We want to take care of the environment and the planet that takes care of us. The LEED Silver certification further exemplifies Xanterra’s commitment to sustainability and our efforts in protecting our natural resources.”

Some of the sustainability measures undertaken by the lodge to earn the certification included providing electric vehicle charging stations; installing water-conserving plumbing fixtures; completing energy audits and carrying out efficiency measures as needed and creating an extensive “green” purchasing policy. The lodge earned the certification in September following months of work and property-wide improvements.

Daisy Hobbs, General Manager at the lodge, said every department on property had to be engaged and supportive in making these changes in order for the certification to be complete.

“We had the backing and assistance of nearly every staffer on property, from maintenance to accounting, to reach the requirements we needed to meet,” Hobbs said. “I’m extremely proud of our team, as well as our ongoing commitment to provide legendary hospitality with a softer footprint on the environment.”