Denali park wins environmental awards

Denali National Park and Preserve has jumped into the spotlight for outstanding environmental policies, some of which have been in place for several years.

Green Star, a nonprofit organization emphasizing sustainable environmental practices, recently gave the park its two highest awards. After meeting 12 of 18 standards in various categories, businesses are eligible for the Green Star Award for general waste reduction and the Air Quality Award for reduced air pollution.

One of the programs cited has been operating since the mid-1980s. Karen Fortier, Denali's kennel manager, said the dogs' waste is composted and given to local residents to use on their lawns or gardens.

The 30 sled dogs generate about 9,000 pounds of waste annually, she said. Park officials used to put compost at various places around the park until they learned that the dogs' straw bedding contains non-native plant seeds, which park officials try to prevent from growing.

Also, hair brushed from the dogs is given to local crafts people for making yarn. That amounts to about 15 pounds each year.

Mike Cobbold, Denali's safety manager and sustainability coordinator, said some people use the fur to make ear muffs as thank-you presents to volunteers at the kennel.

"It's nice when the park can use what otherwise would be a waste and make products from it," Cobbold said.

The dogs are a tourist attraction in the summer and help rangers patrol the park during winter months.

On a larger environmental level, the park beefed up its recycling and re-use program involving a range of materials. As a result, 27 tons of material was recycled during fiscal year 2003 -- more than three times the amount collected the previous year.

The air quality improvements included reducing pollution from vehicles as well as increasing energy efficiency. The park added timers to outlets for engine block heaters, and even installed "thermocords" in park vehicles to reduce energy consumption by heating the engine only when necessary, Cobbold said.

A hybrid generator with solar panels with battery backup was added at Eielson Visitor Center. The generator feeds batteries with energy and shuts itself off until energy levels in the batteries drop to a certain point, when the generator kicks on again.

"That greatly reduces your run time," Cobbold said.

At the Wonder Lake Ranger Station, a cleaner burning propane generator has replaced the diesel model. Toklat Road Camp was converted from electric to propane energy.

Besides the Green Star awards, Denali also won the 2003 Environmental Achievement Award from the U.S. Department of the Interior, and the Champions for Environmental Leadership and Green Government Innovation awards from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

Park staff will conduct a workshop next summer or fall to share ideas about recycling and other programs with businesses. Topics will include waste reduction, waste management, energy conservation, transportation efficiency, energy audit programs and other subjects.

Cobbold believes there are several reasons why sustainable practices make good sense.

"There are economic as well as environmental benefits," he said.