Timberline straddles the Mountain community like a colossus. But now, its
stance is world-wide.

Sustainable Travel International has bestowed on Timberline Lodge and Ski
Area the honor of being the first ski resort in the world to receive third-party
certification through its sustainable Tourism Eco-certification Program.

Timberline has been recognized for its strengths in the areas of environmental
conservation, cultural heritage, historic preservation and economic
development.

“STEP is the ‘gold standard’ in sustainable tourism certification in the travel
and tourism industry because of its regimented and thorough criteria,” said
Brian Mullis, CEO of Sustainable Travel International. “As more industry
leaders like Timberline Lodge embrace sustainability, we are hoping that it has
a multiplier effect, raising the bar for other hoteliers and ski resorts who also
aspire to engage in best practices.”

Timberline is all agog over its newly found recognition.

“Timberline Lodge has a historical commitment to the environment and the
community,” said Jeff Kohnstamm, president of RLK and Company, the
operators of the lodge.

“We recognize that we are operating within a cherished natural landscape that
is valued for its scenic, historic, recreational, cultural, and economic
characteristics. This eco-certification is a real achievement and it is a rallying
point for us.”

Jon Tullis, director of public affairs at Timberline, was equally honored and
pointed to its worldly significance.

“We are convinced that sustainability isn’t just a passing trend,” Tullis said.
“We see it as a mega-trend in not just our industry, but in all of corporate
America. It is transforming organizations, governments, products, the
competitive landscape, and especially the consumer driven business climate.

“It is more of a game-changer than you may think. There are real savings to
be found, efficiencies, and new opportunities for meaningful communication
with customers. Businesses that ignore it, I think, are doing so at their own
peril.”

Best practices instituted at Timberline Lodge include:
— An active Timberline employee-led Green Team;
— A dynamic partnership with the U.S. Forest Service and the Friends of
Timberline in collaborative stewardship of the facility and interpretation of its
history to the general public;
— A thorough health and safety program for employees and guests;
— A comprehensive company-wide recycling program including in-room
recycling for overnight guests;
— An action-oriented energy reduction plan and recent energy efficiency
upgrades including new thermo pane windows in all of its guest rooms;
— A robust charitable giving program dedicated to benefiting children
throughout Oregon;
— Opportunities for guest philanthropy; and
— Long-term planning that focuses on the authenticity of the Timberline
experience, and purposely does not overshadow Timberline Lodge as the
central focus of the site.

STEP is the world’s first comprehensive, global sustainable tourism eco-
certification program offered by a non-profit organization. STEP addressed the
major environmental, socio-cultural and economic issues facing the tourism
industry and the planet at large, including global climate change, biodiversity
preservation, water and waste management, economic development and
social issues.

“The STEP program has provided us with a framework for sustainability that’s
aligned with our existing values and business operations,” Kohnstamm said.
“But it has also prompted us to drive our commitments toward these things
even deeper. It is a work in progress, and it involves a process of continual
improvement geared toward a very comprehensive view of sustainability.”

Tullis pointed to how the plan of Sustainable Travel International has created
a road map for continual improvement.

“STI helped us understand just how comprehensive the concept of
sustainability is, and that, as they say ‘sustainability is a journey, not a
destination,’” Tullis said. “It is based on what they call the triple bottom line,
or ‘people, planet, profit.’ It involves a human oriented component, and
environmental one, and a business component.”

RLK and Company has been operating Timberline Lodge for 55 years, and it is
the company’s belief that ultimately it is the American people who will benefit
most by an economically and environmentally sustainable Timberline Lodge,
Kohnstamm said.

And now, Timberline towers over the eco-world.