PRESS RELEASE

December 13, 2010

For Immediate Release

Contact::  Nancy Johnstone

307-739-1570

nancy@alpinehouse.com 

The Alpine House is First To Earn Prestigious Eco-Certification

Jackson Hole- The Alpine House, Jackson Hole's favorite inn, has become one of the first hotels in the Intermountain West to earn certification through the rigorous Sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program (STEP) from Sustainable Travel International. Sustainable Travel International (STI) is a non-profit organization whose mission is to promote sustainable tourism development. STI provides programs to help consumers, businesses, and travel-related organizations protect the environment, preserve cultural-heritage, and promote economic development around the world. They work to with travelers, businesses and destinations to help protect the places they visit and to leave the world a better place.

The travel industry has recently been inundated with claims of green practices and green-centered business. It is very difficult for travelers to know how focused and environmentally committed a business truly is. By choosing to earn STEP, which is considered to be the international gold standard in sustainable tourism certification, The Alpine House has undertaken the steps necessary to truly utilize green practices. STI certification only comes after a lengthy self-evaluation, requiring that the required policies, systems and documentation are in place, as well as a comprehensive evaluation and verification of green practices. STI also requires continuous re-evaluation of practices to bring the certified business ever closer to best possible practices, providing them with incentives to incrementally ramp up their sustainability initiatives as time and resources allow.

The intensive certification process exemplifies The Alpine House's commitment to becoming a leader in sustainable tourism development in Wyoming and the Greater Yellowstone area. "Some of the practices we have been doing since we opened 18 years ago, such as recycling, using reusable amenity containers and all-natural cleaners, and purchasing wind power. But going through the certification process has opened our eyes to so many more things we can do to make a difference. For instance, partnering with local conservation groups to offer our guests the opportunity to truly experience and appreciate the mountains we live in by educating our guests about the challenges the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem is facing, and giving them ways to get actively involved," explains owner Nancy Johnstone.

The Alpine House chose STI because they endorse a triple bottom line of People, Planet, and Profit. The sustainability of The Alpine House depends not only on our green practices but on sustaining the culture, economy, and conservation of the Greater Yellowstone ecosystem. STI offers businesses a road map to constantly be improving and updating their sustainable practices. Through this process, The Alpine House has developed a forty page Sustainability Manual that clearly explains their green practices and spells out goals they have set to forever be improving.

The Alpine House's Sustainability Manual is available to the public, and Johnstone urges other businesses in the area to consider becoming eco-certified. More information is available at  www.alpinehouse.com and at www.ecocertification.org. Contact Nancy Johnstone at nancy@alpinehouse.com or 307-739-1570 for information.