[OKC] FW: Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts announce partnership to reduce the environmental footprint of Sooner State visitors

[Shauna Struby]

From: Austin Tackett [mailto:Austin at TravelOK.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, September 15, 2010 3:00 PM
To: Everyone at OTRD
Subject: Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Oklahoma Association of
Conservation Districts announce partnership to reduce the environmental
footprint of Sooner State visitors

 

 

 OKLAHOMA ASSOCIATION OF CONSERVATION DISTRICTS

 

MEDIA NOTICE

Contact: Clay Pope, Executive Director

Oklahoma Association of Conservation Districts 

 (405) 699-2087 or claypope at pldi.net 

Lindsay Vidrine, Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Dept. 

Lindsay at TravelOK.com 405-230-8414

 

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:

 

Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department, Oklahoma Association of
Conservation Districts announce partnership to reduce the environmental
footprint of Sooner State visitors

 

Oklahoma City-People coming to visit Oklahoma will soon have a method to
lower the environmental footprint of their trip while promoting natural
resource conservation through a new initiative announced today by the
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) and the Oklahoma
Association of Conservation Districts (OACD).

 

"We are extremely excited about this new partnership with Tourism," said
Sarah Pope, Director of OACD's Carbon Initiative.  "By working together we
can help folks offset their carbon emissions and other environmental impacts
produced from traveling by offering them credits generated by conservation
practices that sequester carbon while protecting our soil, water, air and
wildlife habitats.  This is a great program and a big win for the
environment."

 

Under the terms of the agreement, the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation
Department will sell an ECOpass through the webstore on www.TravelOK.com.
The ECOpass is available in $5, $15, and $30 denominations which equates to
different levels of carbon credits that are created by practices such as
no-till farming and strip-till farming, grass plantings, tree plantings and
improved pasture management.  All of these practices are encouraged by the
Conservation Districts of Oklahoma, the Oklahoma Conservation Commission and
the USDA Natural Resources Conservation Service (NRCS) to reduce non-point
source pollution in water, conserve soil, improve wildlife habitat and
sequester carbon.  

 

Research shows that these improvements to the land can store or 'sequester'
anywhere from .5 to 1.2 metric tons of carbon in soil per acre, per year,
helping reduce overall carbon dioxide levels in the atmosphere while
addressing other natural resource concerns.  Landowners who undertake these
practices have the ability to sell these carbon credits through the OACD
Oklahoma Carbon Initiative with verification provide by the Oklahoma
Conservation Commission Carbon Program.  This new partnership between OTRD
and OACD will allow those coming to Oklahoma who wish to reduce their
environmental impact to purchase these credits.

 

"The Tourism Department works to offer more sustainable choices for visitors
traveling in and to Oklahoma," said Hardy Watkins, Executive Director of the
Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. "The ECOpass is a meaningful way
to both reduce a traveler's environmental impact while also benefitting
Oklahoma farmers and ranchers who are implementing sustainable practices."

 

OACD President Trey Lam said that this partnership is another way
conservation districts and the Oklahoma Conservation Partnership are helping
landowners conserve the state's Natural Resources.

 

"This new initiative with Tourism is a great way to promote conservation of
our natural resources, reward good stewardship of the land and highlight the
good work that is going on in Oklahoma," Lam said.  "By facilitating the
sale of these credits to folks who are coming to Oklahoma we are helping
promote sustainable tourism while showcasing the ongoing efforts to protect
our environment.  This is a great program that helps showcase Oklahoma
nationally and puts dollars in the pocket of those folks going the extra
mile to protect our natural resources.  This is a great program and we are
excited to be a part of it."

 

 

 

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