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Mammoth Cave National Park & Hotel (Forever Resorts)

Mammoth Cave National Park sits on more than 52, 000 acres and has 80+ employees. This was the first 100% alternatively fueled national park in the country of 385 national parks in all. The National Park Service has a purpose that includes "conserving the scenery and the natural and historic objects and the wild life therein - and to provide for the enjoyment of the same in such manner and by such means as will leave them unimpaired for the enjoyment of future generations."

The fleet:

• 35 E85 (Flexible Fuel Vehicles)
• 10 Biodiesel (ferries, backhoe, mowers)
• 6  Low Speed Electrics
• 7  Propane buses

Mammoth Cave Fueling Center - Provides Biodiesel, E85, E10 and Propane.

History of Environmental Leadership and Achievement at Mammoth Cave National Park

Mammoth Cave was established as a national park in 1941, later designated a World Heritage Site in 1981, and an International Biosphere Reserve in 1990.  The Biosphere Reserve was increased from 112,800 acres to 909,328 in 1996.

Mammoth Cave National Park has a long tradition of not only meeting but exceeding National Park Service objectives.  This is especially true when it comes to environmental leadership.  In the 1980’s, Mammoth Cave National Park was one of only a few parks to separate resource protection activities from the Division of Ranger Activities and form the new Division of Science and Resource Management.

Also in the early 1980’s, Mammoth Cave National Park was instrumental in the formation of the Caveland Sanitation Authority (CSA).  CSA was charged with constructing a regional sewer system with the primary goal of protecting the groundwater that flows into Mammoth Cave, thus protecting the eco-system of the world’s longest known cave system.  This project took approximately 20 years to complete; today this system serves the cities of Cave City, Horse Cave, Park City, and Mammoth Cave National Park. This region-wide sewer system is protecting the groundwater across the majority of the sinkhole plane, which feeds much of the water that flows into and through Mammoth Cave.  Today CSA has become the Caveland Environmental Authority (CEA) and recently completed construction on a new water delivery and distribution system for the Park.  This new system is expected to save thousands of gallons of water that was being lost each year due to the park’s deteriorating water system.

Mammoth Cave National Park has consistently been a leader in recycling for over a decade.  The park, working with its partners, have continually strived to improve this operation.  Common items such as aluminum cans, plastic bottles, and office paper have long been recycled, but the park is also aggressive to ensure lesser know items are recycled such as:  glass bottles, cardboard, used batteries, motor oil, antifreeze, and fluorescent light tubes to name a few.

In 1999, Executive Order No. 13149 required all Federal agency fleets to use re-refined oil.  The park management team decided to aggressively pursue this requirement with the goal of using alternative fuels in 100% of the park’s vehicle fleet as well as equipment.  Mammoth Cave National Park became the first unit in the DOI to develop an on-site fueling station
using E-85 (ethanol).  The park also became the first unit in the Southeast Region of the NPS to use bio-diesel in all of its diesel equipment.  By 2004, Mammoth Cave National Park became the first unit in the NPS to become 100% alternative fuel compatible in all GSA vehicles and equipment, and the park proudly maintains this standard today.

The NPS Advisory Board issued “A Vision of Sustainable Parks” in 2000 recommending the Service be pro-active in environmental leadership.  This statement led to the designation of 20 NPS units as Centers for Environmental Innovation.  These parks will serve as models in developing, adopting and promoting practices supportive of environmental leadership and again Mammoth Cave is proud to be one of these parks!

The Department of Interior Action Plan for 2001 called for “greening” of all Interior agencies to the extent possible through recycling programs, purchase of environmentally friendly products, and requiring concessioners and contractors to consider “green” practices.  This led the park management team to establish the park’s first Environmental Leadership Committee (ELC).  This Committee included members from each functional area, to outline and lead Park efforts as a Center for Environmental Innovation.

In 2002, the ELC developed and implemented Mammoth Cave National Park’s first Strategic Plan for Environmental Leadership.  This Plan set the stage for the park to follow an established program to assist in educating employees, partners, and the public on the principles of “green” or sustainable practices.  By the close of 2003, virtually all of the action items in the Plan had been fully implemented.

To date, Mammoth Cave National Park has been recognized five separate times for achievements in environmental leadership.  In 2000, the park received a “Certificate of Achievement for Park Sustainable Operations.”  The commendation was presented by the White House Task Force on Greening Government through Waste Prevention and Recycling.  The year 2003 brought additional recognition to the park’s environmental leadership program in the form of two awards.  The park received the NPS 2003 Environmental Achievement Award.  A contributing factor was development of cave lighting that can prevent the growth of algae, moss, and ferns (lampflora) in toured passages, and therefore eliminate the need to spray bleach in the cave to remove lampflora.  The park and its concessionaire, Forever Resorts, were also recognized the same year by the Department of the Interior, Office of Environmental Policy and Compliance with the DOI’s Environmental Achievement Award.  The award noted: “For Superior Environmental Accomplishments that Improve and Sustain Our Nation’s Public Lands”.  The park received its 4th environmental leadership award (Department of Energy
Clean Cities Coalition 2004 National Partner Award) for having 100% of the park’s vehicle fleet running on alternative fuels, and for successful conversion of the concession-operated cave tour bus fleet to propane.  In 2005, Mammoth Cave National Park received a NPS Honorable Mention Environmental Achievement Commendation for minimizing petroleum use in transportation.

Installation of oil and grit separators was completed in 2004 at five parking lots in the park.  Storm water runoff from these parking lots is now filtered by these oil and grit separators before it is released into the groundwater, which enters the cave system.  This greatly reduces contamination of the cave hydrologic systems by hazardous materials. A project to replace the filters in all of the oil & grit separators began in the fall of 2008.

The park completed two major projects in early 2007 that will lead to significant reductions in the use of electricity and water.  Both the new cave electric system and new water systems are now operational.  The cave electric project will reduce energy use in the cave by an estimated 33%, and the water system will reduce water use by approximately 20%.

The park’s principal concessionaire, Forever Resorts, has been involved in all aspects of the park’s environmental leadership activities.  In 2004, a comprehensive environmental audit was completed for all facilities operated by the Mammoth Cave Hotel.  This audit produced only a few minor recommendations, which have been fully addressed.  The park and Forever Resorts have partnered to ensure all types of recycling activates are available to both employees and visitors.  In addition they jointly operate a large cardboard compactor for recycling, and recently a joint alternative fueling station became operational that will be used by both NPS and concession staff for government and concessions vehicles and equipment.

In 2004, the park’s Environmental Leadership Committee was renamed the Environmental Management Team (EMT).  The EMT was responsible for the development of this document and the direction of Mammoth Cave National Park’s Environmental Management Plan. In 2005, the EMT developed and implemented the park’s first ever Environmental Management System, and remains responsible to oversee its implementation and annual update.

In 2008 the park undertook the process of developing an Integrated Solid Waste Alternatives Plan (ISWAP).  After much research and several reviews the final draft was presented to the Management Team in September 2008. After some minor revisions the plan was finalized and implementation of the ISWAP will be the primary goal of the 2009 EMT.