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Virginia Department of Environmental Quality

Virginia Green
Hotels & Lodging Facilities

Virginia Green
Natural Tunnel State Park Cabins and Lodge
Duffield, VA

Virginia Green is the Commonwealth of Virginia’s campaign to promote environmentally-friendly practices in all aspects of Virginia’s tourism industry. Virginia Green has established "core activities" specific to each sector of tourism, and these practices are considered the required minimum for participation in the program. However, Virginia Green encourages its participants to reduce their environmental impacts in all aspects of their operations, and this profile provides a full list of all their “green” activities. These are the activities that guests / customers can expect to find when they visit this facility.

Natural Tunnel State Park Cabins and Lodge

We are a Virginia State Park. We have 10 overnight cabins as well as dorm style accommodations that can sleep up to 48 people.

We are a conservation agency. Enhancing and protecting is part of our mission statement.

We purchase locally grown produce, enhance wildlife habitat and protect it. We do encourage park guests to use our recycling bins and educate schools about the importance of recycling.

Virginia Green Activities

This facility pledges that they:
Offer optional linen service
- Have signage in each guest room explaining the linen reuse procedures 
- Train housekeeping staff on our process for optional linen service  
- Other Activities: Linens are supplied once per week during peak season.

Recycle
- Have in place clearly marked recycling bins or provide convenient drop-off locations for guests to recycle: 
- Plastic Bottles 
- Aluminum cans 
- Cardboard 
- Fluorescent lamps 
- Batteries 
- Electronics equipment such as computers, etc. 
- Other Activities: Park staff takes recycling over to Duffield and places it in their recycling dumpsters.

Reduce solid waste
- Track overall solid waste costs 
- Instruct housekeeping staff to save and reuse unopened items 
- Provide condiments, cream and sugar, etc. in bulk 
- Use water pitchers to minimize the use of single-use bottles 
- Use bulk soap dispensers in public restrooms 
- Use high-efficiency hand-dryers 
- Purchase recycled-content paper-towels and toilet paper 
- Reuse scrap paper for notes 
- Reuse or donate shipping and packing supplies (peanuts, bubble wrap, etc.) 
- Purchase recycled paper with a high-percentage recycled content 
- Make double-sided photocopies and avoid making extra photocopies 
- Use electronic correspondence and forms when possible 
- Use green cleaning products that are dispensed in bulk 
- Use reused building materials or those from sustainable sources 
- Properly recycle and/or dispose of thinners and solvents 
- Perform preventative maintenance on all appliances, HVAC systems, plumbing, and vehicles 
- Minimize use of pesticides and herbicides in landscaping 

Use water efficiently
- Track overall water usage and wastewater costs 
- Perform preventative maintenance to stop drips and leaks 
- Use water-flow metering to discover leaks and areas of high use 
- Have installed high efficiency dishwashers 
- Have installed low flow faucets and showerheads (use less than 2.5 gallons per minute) 
- Have installed low flow toilets (use 1.6 gallons per flush or less) 
- Have landscaping that utilizes native species 
- Have installed rain barrels 
- Have installed drip line irrigation 
- Maintain vegetative buffers around streams and ponds 

Conserve energy
- Track overall energy bills 
- Have installed ceiling fans 
- Have installed ENERGY STAR-rated windows and doors 
- Regularly perform preventative maintenance on HVAC system 
- Have installed a high efficiency HVAC system 
- Keep office doors and windows closed if HVAC system is on 
- Use natural lighting (i.e., open draperies and raise shades whenever adequate light from windows is available) 
- Use lighting sensors to turn on/off lights 
- Have adopted a policy/practice to turn off lights in unoccupied rooms 
- Have installed high efficiency fluorescent ballasts and lamps (T-5 and T-8) 
- Have installed compact fluorescent light bulbs in all rooms and canned lighting 
- Use ENERGY STAR qualified appliances (commercial kitchens, heating and cooling, consumer electronics) 
- Use ENERGY STAR qualified office equipment (computers, monitors, copiers, printers, etc.) 
- Other Activities: We serve water in pitchers and use double sided copying if possible.

Offer a green events package
- Include the availability of "green meetings/conferences" in marketing packages (see the factsheet on Environmentally-Responsible Conferences & Events) 

Natural Tunnel State Park Cabins and Lodge    Natural Tunnel State Park Cabins and Lodge

For more information on Natural Tunnel State Park Cabins and Lodge, see www.dcr.virginia.gov/state_parks/nat.shtml or contact Steve Hawks at steve.hawks@dcr.virginia.gov or 804-786-3334.

For more information on the Virginia Green program, see www.deq.state.va.us/Programs/PollutionPrevention/VirginiaGreen.aspx.

Virginia GreenVirginia Green is a partnership supported by the Virginia Department of Environmental Quality, the Virginia Hospitality & Tourism Association, and the Virginia Tourism Corporation.

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