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ISLAMORADA - Florida Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) South District Director Jon Iglehart today welcomed
Lookout Lodge Resort in the Florida Keys to the Florida Green Lodging Program. The property is the 200th designation in the
Program and the first combined Green Lodging and Clean Marina property. Both voluntary initiatives are administered through
DEP to help facilities go “clean and green” by adopting cost-saving practices that reduce waste and conserve natural resources.
“With Florida’s hotels serving more than 35 million guests annually and more than one million registered boats on our waters,
the lodging and marine industries play a tremendous role in helping to protect Florida’s natural resources and boosting our
economy,” said DEP Secretary Michael W. Sole. “The Lookout Lodge Resort sets the bar for other small businesses to ‘go green’
by implementing both lodging and marina practices that reduce waste, conserve energy and protect Florida’s waterways.”
The 10-room property implemented a variety of green practices to receive the Florida Green Lodging Program designation. The
property installed ENERGYSTAR® rated equipment, energy efficient lighting, tinted/double-paned windows and timers on outdoor
lighting reducing its greenhouse gas emissions as well as its utility costs. The hotel implemented a towel and linen reuse
program as well as low-flow faucets and showerheads. In addition, Lookout Lodge Resort has nine boats slips and has been a
designated member of the Florida Clean Marina Program since 2006.
“Lookout Lodge Resort is very proud to participate in both the Florida Green Lodging and Florida Clean Marina Programs. Although
we are a small property, we believe we have a duty to protect our natural resources and be part of the environmental solution,”
said Don Zinner, President of Islamorada Sunset Investments, LLC. “As we are now encouraging our guests to ‘think green,’ we hope
to encourage other lodging properties and marinas, whether 10 rooms or 1,000 rooms, to be part of the solution with us.”
Launched in March 2004 by the Florida Department of Environmental Protection, the Florida
Green Lodging Program establishes environmental guidelines for hotels and motels to conserve natural resources and prevent pollution. In 2007, Governor Crist
signed three executive orders initiating state energy-use policies, including one that requires state agencies and departments
to hold meetings and conferences only at hotels with the Florida Green Lodging Program designation as of January 1, 2008, whenever
possible. With the addition of the Lookout Lodge Resort, the program has 234 designated properties across the state and nearly
400 applicants. For more information about the Florida Green Lodging Program,
visit www.dep.state.fl.us/greenlodging.
With more than one million registered motorized vessels in Florida, environmental education within marine industries is the first
step toward safeguarding the state’s natural resources. By providing ”green" education and alternatives, the Florida Clean Marina
Program helps to ensure a sustainable future for the environment and the billion-dollar marine industry. For more information
about the Florida Clean Marina Program, visit www.dep.state.fl.us/cleanmarina.
DEP’s Office of Sustainable Initiatives is comprised of three voluntary, non-regulatory programs that assist Florida industry and
citizens in protecting the environment. The Clean Marina Program, the Florida Green Lodging Program and the Florida
Pollution Prevention Program offer a variety of services including on-site assessments, consultations, speakers and workshops, all at no
cost to citizens or organizations. The goal of the Sustainable Initiatives programs is to meet the needs of the present
population without compromising resources for future generations. To learn more about DEP’s Sustainable Initiatives,
visit www.dep.state.fl.us/green/.
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