Greenest Park Initiative
Centennial Goal: By 2016, Yellowstone National Park will reduce its fossil fuel consumption by 18%.
Yellowstone uses 350,000 gallons of fuel a year, costing the Park Service $1.4 million.
Through the Greenest Park Initiative, the Park will reduce its consumption of fuel by increasing the use of renewable fuels, expanding the use of hybrid vehicles, introducing high-efficiency tire technology, expanding an employee rideshare program, and incorporating employee protocols to minimize inter-Park travel.
The Park has set ambitious goals to reduce the number of vehicles in its fleet and incorporate hybrid technology. To date, Toyota Motor Sales, U.S.A. has donated eight hybrid vehicles to Yellowstone—including one of the very first hybrid Camry models manufactured in the United States—and one hybrid SUV to the Yellowstone Park Foundation.
With the Yellowstone Park Foundation's support, Yellowstone will purchase additional hybrid vehicles to replace older vehicles.
Yellowstone has more than 450 miles of road, and Park vehicles logged more than 3.75 million miles traveling on them in 2007.
With the Yellowstone Park Foundation's support, the Park will install high-efficiency tires on all Park vehicles. Michelin North America and Alcoa Wheel Products have donated tires and wheels for heavy trucks. Using these high-efficiency tires creates almost 10% in fuel savings, more than eight metric tons of CO2 in gas emission savings, and 38 gallons of oil savings in the production of each tire, per year, per truck.
Since 1998, the Park has provided a biodiesel-powered bus for Park employees that live 50 miles away in Livingston, Montana. On average, 40 Park and concessions staff participate in the program daily, collectively saving thousands of gallons of fuel a year and reducing pollution.
With the Yellowstone Park Foundation's support, Yellowstone will explore the expansion of its rideshare program to additional routes. The program will also incorporate a car-sharing program for staff traveling to and from work, within the Park, or away from the Park on official business.
With the Yellowstone Park Foundation's support, the Park will reduce the number of miles driven by staff through the use of a video-conferencing system that will be available Park-wide.