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| · December 10, 2003 · |
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· Concessioner's Environmental Commitment Spawns Chain Of Custody Certification For Wild Alaska Salmon Xanterra Parks & Resorts Becomes First U.S. Hospitality Company To Receive Marine Stewardship Council Certification
DENVER (December 10, 2003) - It's guaranteed. From the water to the dining room, all wild Alaska salmon served in Xanterra Parks & Resorts restaurants is sourced from sustainable salmon fisheries in Alaska. Xanterra is the first hospitality company in the United States to be granted the "Chain of Custody" certification from the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC). This important accreditation guarantees that all of Xanterra's Alaska salmon menu items can be traced to their source, assuring consumers that the salmon is from a fishery that has met the non-profit organization's stringent environmental standards. While seafood products - including salmon - certified by MSC are widely promoted in Europe as well as in retail outlets in the U.S., the Xanterra-operated restaurants in national and state parks throughout the U.S. will be the first to display the distinctive blue MSC label on its menus. MSC is an international non-profit organization that works to enhance responsible management of seafood resources through a certification and eco-labeling process. As part of its effort to fight the devastating environmental consequences of over-fishing, MSC rewards environmentally responsible fisheries with certification and permission to use the organization's label. The Alaska salmon fishery earned certification in 2000. "By placing the MSC logo on our menus, we are promising our guests that their wild Alaska salmon dish is sustainable," said Tim Stein, corporate food and beverage director for Xanterra Parks & Resorts. "Since MSC is not as well-known in the U.S. as it is in Europe, we are also training our employees so they can knowledgeably answer questions about our sustainable seafood program. It is exciting to be actively involved in this important movement, and we are delighted to be working with the Marine Stewardship Council to communicate its importance to national and state park visitors. We are using sustainable MSC Certified Alaska salmon in lieu of farm-raised salmon, which is associated with numerous negative environmental impacts." Xanterra has been involved in a variety of sustainable seafood and other environmental programs for many years. In 2001, Xanterra announced a comprehensive policy that included recommendations of sustainable seafood as well as an outright ban on certain kinds of seafood that have been determined to be harmful to the environment. Xanterra will not serve Chilean Sea Bass (Patagonian Toothfish), Atlantic Swordfish, all species of Shark and Bluefin Tuna. Earlier this year, Xanterra added Alaska salmon to its list of recommendations and launched a partnership with the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) to promote wild Alaska salmon to its visitors and employees. ASMI was created as a cooperative partnership between the seafood industry and state government in Alaska. Its purpose is to advance the mutually beneficial goal of a stable seafood industry in Alaska. For more information about the Marine Stewardship Council, visit www.msc.org. Information about the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute is available at www.alaskaseafood.org. Xanterra's web site is www.xanterra.com. Xanterra Parks & Resorts operates lodges, restaurants and other concessions at national parks and state parks and resorts. Xanterra is the country's largest national park concessioner. The company operates concessions in the following locations: Yellowstone National Park, the North and South Rims of Grand Canyon National Park, Bryce Canyon National Park, Zion National Park, Crater Lake National Park, Death Valley National Park, Petrified Forest National Park, Everglades National Park, and Mount Rushmore National Memorial; and at the Silverado Resort in Napa, Calif.; Gideon Putnam Hotel in Saratoga Springs, N.Y. and eight Ohio State Parks. Long committed to the preservation and protection of the environment, Ecologix, Xanterra's environmental program, includes a variety of proactive environmental stewardship programs in each location. Xanterra was selected as a member of the EPA "Environmental Performance Track" program in 2003. Also in 2003, the company's Grand Canyon operations received the Arizona Tourism Award for Preservation and its operations in Mount Rushmore received the prestigious ISO 14001 Environmental Management System Standard Certification. Xanterra was the recipient of Environmental Achievement Awards from the Environmental Protection Agency in 2002 and from the Department of Interior in 2001 and 2002. Xanterra also received the Travel Industry Association's Odyssey Award for its environmental initiatives in 2001. For more information about Xanterra and links to individual properties, visit: www.xanterra.com. For reservations and more information about Grand Canyon, Bryce, Zion or Death Valley, call (1) 303-297-2757 or toll-free at (1) 888-297-2757. For reservations and more information about Yellowstone, call (1) 307-344-7311. For reservations and more information about Flamingo Lodge in Everglades National Park, call (1) 800-600-3813 or (1) 239-695-3101. For reservations at Crater Lake Lodge, call (1) 541-830-8700. For reservations and more information about Ohio State Park Resorts, call (1) 800-282-7275. Media Contact: Mesereau Public Relations 720-842-5271 mona_mesereau@msn.com |
| Produced by Judi Janofsky, Rich Steck and the Golf Press Association |