Jewel Cave Earns Climate Friendly Park Status

Jewel Cave National Monument’s Water Bottle Filling Station. Photo via NPS

South Dakota’s Jewel Cave National Monument was recently awarded the National Park Service‘s Climate Friendly Park status.

Part of National Park Service Climate Change Response Strategy, the Climate Friendly Parks program encourages parks to implement sustainable practices such as the reduces greenhouse gas emissions.

To join the ranks of approximately 70 other Climate Friendly Parks across the US, the Monument’s Green Team used data from a Greenhouse Gas Emissions Inventory that calculated the park’s baseline emissions from 2008 – 2011 to compose an action plan to cut those emissions by 3% over the next three years.

Some of the practices adopted so far include simple things such as saving office paper and turning off lights as well as more complex projects like the installation of a water bottle filling station that tracks the number of plastic bottles it has saved from landfill disposal.

Other improvements include the transition from gas-powered utility carts to electrical models, the replacement of inefficient water heaters with energy-efficient models in staff housing and the change to LED lighting in the cave elevators.

A 5% reduction in solid waste, a decrease of some 1.5 tons, is also planned by 2016.

Along with the reductions of waste and emissions, the monument has also committed to enhance public education and outreach efforts such as holding at least one sustainability activity each academic year as part of its Adopt a Classroom partnership with the nearby Custer School District.

Jewel Cave is proud to be recognized as a Climate Friendly Park. Through this program, we’ve made ambitious commitments to reducing our greenhouse gas emissions, decreasing waste, and educating our staff and public on the importance of environmental stewardship. We look forward to fulfilling these goals and carrying our sustainable practices into the future. Rene Ohms, Jewel Cave National Monument Green Team Chair

Jewel Cave Earns Climate Friendly Park Status [Jewel Cave National Monument]