Flat Creek Ranch and Jackson Lake Lodge become the next two businesses in Jackson Hole to reach the Business Emerald Sustainability Tier (BEST) level of sustainability performance. The standards in the BEST program are comparable to the world’s most rigorous and comprehensive environmental, community, and economic sustainability criteria. Flat Creek Ranch and Jackson Lake Lodge join the Elk Refuge Inn as the first businesses to achieve a third-party sustainability certification by the Riverwind Foundation, the originator of the BEST program. The BEST program was created to provide an opportunity and platform for those Reduce, Reuse, Recycle (RRR) Business Leaders that want to elevate their sustainability practices to higher levels of environmental stewardship, social responsibility, and economic vitality.
Alex Klein, VP and General Manager of Grand Teton Lodge Company states, “Continuous improvement of Grand Teton Lodge Company’s environmental sustainability practices has always been a primary goal and core value for our company. The BEST certification for Jackson Lake Lodge represents an important milestone for us on that path, and we are proud to be among the first companies in Jackson Hole to have achieved this comprehensive standard. We commend the work of the Riverwind Foundation in helping local businesses improve their practices and contribute to the overall sustainability of Jackson Hole and the Greater Yellowstone Ecosystem. We look forward to continuing to work within the BEST program to improve and promote sustainability in this special place that we all work and live.”
“As a business owner striving for sustainable practices throughout all aspects of an operation can be challenging” says Shelby and Trey Scharp, Managers of Flat Creek Ranch. “We offer a unique perspective operating entirely off the grid, so sustainability is particularly important. Having recognition of our continued actions to do the right things is greatly appreciated. The BEST certification demonstrates the hard work of our entire staff as well as our love and respect of the place we live. This program quantifies, at exceedingly high standards, what sustainable practices look like and make the goals tangible for other local companies to follow suit.”
“Consistent with their long-term philosophy and practice of environmental stewardship, Flat Creek Ranch and Jackson Lake Lodge have demonstrated a strong commitment to the triple bottom line” says Tim O’Donoghue, Executive Director of the Riverwind Foundation and coordinator of the Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Sustainable Destination Program. “By achieving BEST certification, these businesses have established themselves as leaders in sustainable tourism and send a message to businesses of all sizes that environmental and social responsibility is good businesses.”
The Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Sustainable Destination Program is a collaboration coordinated by the Riverwind Foundation and its program partners, and supported by funding from the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board and the lodging tax, USDA Rural Development, and many individuals, businesses, and organizations who support our community’s environmental, social, and economic sustainability.
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