Zion NP wins environmental award

The National Park Service has given one of six national Environmental Achievement Awards to Utah's Zion National Park.

It went to the park's Green Team for decreasing both the waste caused by disposable water bottles in the park and the amount of carbon dioxide emitted during the transportation of bottled water to the park.

The team installed stations for filling water bottles in several popular areas of the park to encourage visitors to drink from reusable containers. Also with partners of the park, the Green Team ended the sale of bottled water within Zion.

Bryce Canyon National Park and its Xanterra Parks & Resorts concessionaire won an honorable mention in the awards contest for partnering with Garfield County to transport recyclables more efficiently out of the park.

Daniel N. Wenk, acting director of the park service, praised winners, saying they set "an example by protecting not only NPS sites but also the land and environment beyond their borders.

Other winners included Xanterra at Yellowstone National Park for using old cooking oil to run boilers at hotels; and Xanterra at Grand Canyon for reducing waste at Phantom Ranch through composting and giving guests duffel packs made from used feed bags.

Others were Denali National Park and Preserve Team for a visitor's center powered largely by water and sunlight; the Mojave National Preserve for using recycled asphalt to pave a road; and the Delaware North Companies for comprehensive recycling programs at Grand Canyon, Sequoia and Kings Canyon, Yellowstone and Yosemite national parks.