JACKSON HOLE GOES FOR SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION

By Tim O’Donoghue, Riverwind Foundation JACKSON HOLE GOES FOR SUSTAINABILITY CERTIFICATION

Bike paths and bike rentals contribute to Jackson Hole’s efforts to reduce the amount of cars on the road, lowering our community’s carbon emissions. Photo Credit: Friends of Pathways

In 2012, Teton County, Wyoming was selected by the Global Sustainable Tourism Council (GSTC) to be one of the first early adopters of the world’s most comprehensive sustainability standards for destinations. As one of only six selected from 30 applicants, Teton County or Jackson Hole, as we are more popularly known globally, joined Fjords Norway; Lanzarote, Spain; Huangshan Mountain, China; St. Kits & Nevis; and Okavango Delta, Botswana in being evaluated with these sustainability standards. The result: Jackson Hole received its first third-party assessment of our sustainability status of 47% compliance to 120 sustainable destination criteria.

The GSTC concluded that despite the numerous and diverse sustainability initiatives going on in Jackson Hole, there was no organization or program working to unite these efforts toward community goals and international standards for sustainability. However, the GSTC further concluded that “Teton County more than any other place in the world has the potential to become a leader as a sustainable destination” and that we have the natural capital, human capacity, and financial resources to realize this potential.

These findings were the catalyst for the Riverwind Foundation’s creation of the Jackson Hole & Yellowstone Sustainable Destination Program in 2014. A MOU signed by 57 community stakeholders was used as the organizational basis of a strategic council and tactical steering committee. An action plan was created to address the areas needing improvement identified by the GSTC with several key objectives. These objectives were that the Program would:

1. Address our community’s overall sustainability, not just in tourism, 2. Not be competitive with, but complementary and supportive of, existing programs and organizations, 3. Unite and coordinate our community’s sustainability efforts on a project-by-project basis, 4. Seek formal certification within five years, and 5. Be a model and a source of inspiration for other communities through our storytelling and awards

Going for Sustainability Certification Starting in January 2019, the Riverwind Foundation and its partners, supported by over 40 volunteers and funding from the Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board, have engaged with EarthCheck of Brisbane, Australia to certify us as a sustainable destination. The purpose of seeking certification was/is to

• Leverage this effort to further educate the diverse segments of our community on sustainability and our challenges and opportunities to be more environmentally, socially, and economically sustainable, Be the first EarthCheck certified destination in the United States and Canada, and Implement the sustainability policies and principles in the Jackson/Teton County Comprehensive Plan and strive toward the Town and County resolution for Jackson Hole to be a world-leading sustainable community and destination.

EarthCheck was selected among other destination- and community-certification programs because they are the global leaders in scientific benchmarking, certification, and advisory services in travel and tourism; certified more destinations worldwide that any other program; have the most rigorous system that aligns with other global standards for sustainability; and are only one of two GSTC-accredited programs worldwide.

The areas of sustainability that we were assessed on were: (1) energy efficiency and conservation, (2) greenhouse gas emissions, (3) air quality protection, noise and light pollution, (4) management of freshwater resources, (5) wastewater management, (6) ecosystem conservation and management, (7) land use planning and development, (8) transportation, (9) solid waste management, (10) management of environmentally harmful substances, (11) cultural and historic preservation and social services, and (12) economic management.

After nine months of conducting the most comprehensive sustainability data and documentation collection effort ever in our community, the Riverwind Foundation Destination Certification Team readied our community for the EarthCheck certification audit. This audit was conducted September 9-13, 2019 and consisted of data and documentation reviews, extensive stakeholder interviews and meetings, and site tours of various stakeholders in the valley.

The result: Jackson Hole passed all but 10 of 266 sustainability criteria. According to the EarthCheck Destination Certification Report, Jackson Hole has received “conditional certification.” In order to be fully certified, we must establish

1. An overarching sustainability policy for Jackson Hole, 2. A system for soliciting, tracking, responding to and reporting on visitor and resident feedback on tourism here, and 3. A destination action plan, a.k.a, Tourism Management Plan. Such a plan sets the policies, strategies, and actions for [a] achieving our goals and meeting international standards for sustainability, [b] addressing visitor and resident management issues and associated environmental and community impacts, and [c] acting on the commitments made in the Comp Plan and various sustainability-related Town and County resolutions, including climate action.

Moving Forward The policy statement for Jackson Hole is in place and the visitor and resident feedback system is being determined. The Tourism Management Plan is in the early stages of planning. This Plan represents a significant opportunity for our community to unite toward a more sustainable future and export what we’ve learned along the way through our stories to our visitors to positively influence the sustainability journeys of other communities.

Green Matters in Jackson Hole will continue to report on our work toward sustainability and achieving even

Yellowstone National Park Lodges conduct waste audits every year to better understand their trash and to assess their efforts in proper sorting and recycling.

higher levels of certification that mark and celebrate our progress. It is our hope that you will communicate your support for a Tourism Management Plan to our leading authorities, including the Town of Jackson, Teton County, and Jackson Hole Travel & Tourism Board, and participate in community engagement surveys and forums to determine our collective vision, goals, and actions for a more sustainable future for Jackson Hole.