Mesa Verde National Park Deploys Alternative Fueled Vehicles
Please join Mesa Verde National Park, Southern Colorado Clean Cities Coalition, and Aramark for the unveiling of the Park’s Visitor and Research Center and alternative fuel and vehicle deployment project on May 23, 2013 at 10 am.
The new Visitor and Research Center is a LEED, Leadership in Energy & Environmental Design, green building which will optimize the building’s appearance, energy efficiency, and water usage. The alternative fuel and vehicle deployment project will include a new liquid propane gasoline (LPG) refueling station for public and park usage along with a new Ford F-250 4WD extended cab LPG truck, LPG shuttle bus, and LPG-fueled Dixie Chopper X Caliber LP lawnmower. An idle reduction campaign will also be integrated into the park’s education and outreach program in an effort to reduce emissions from unnecessary idling of park staff and visitors’ vehicles. Each project will help reduce the environmental impact of the park’s operations while simultaneously educating guests about the importance of conserving resources and reducing waste.
In 2010, the Department of Energy (DOE) through the Clean Cities Initiative signed a five-year interagency agreement with the National Park Service (NPS). The Clean Cities National Park Initiative supports projects that deploy alternative fuels, vehicles, and refueling infrastructure and help to educate park visitors on the benefits of reducing dependence on petroleum, cutting greenhouse gases, and helping the NPS ease traffic congestion. This agreement complements the NPS Climate Friendly Parks program, and enables the partnership to support transportation-related projects that use renewable and alternative fuels, electric drive and advanced vehicles, and fuel-saving measures. The initiative also works to support the “Greening our Rides” efforts outlined in the NPS Green Parks Plan.
“Alternative fuels and cleaner more-efficient vehicles are a perfect complement to the park’s mission of preserving our national treasures and resources. This Initiative allows a larger audience to learn more about the energy and environmental benefits of these vehicles,” said Dennis A. Smith, DOE’s National Clean Cities Director.
Mesa Verde, Spanish for green table, offers a spectacular look into the lives of the Ancestral Pueblo people who made it their home for over 700 years, from A.D. 600 to 1300. Today the park protects nearly 5,000 known archeological sites, including 600 cliff dwellings. On-site conservations projects demonstrate the importance of protecting the rich archaeological resources and educating guests about the interconnection between our ancestors of the past, our actions in the present, and the consequences of the way we live our lives.
