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</o:shapelayout></xml><![endif]--></head><body lang=EN-US link=blue vlink=purple><div class=WordSection1><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";color:#17365D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><span style='font-size:10.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Corbel","sans-serif";color:#17365D'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><div><div style='border:none;border-top:solid #B5C4DF 1.0pt;padding:3.0pt 0in 0in 0in'><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'>From:</span></b><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Tahoma","sans-serif"'> Austin Tackett [mailto:Austin@TravelOK.com] <br><b>Sent:</b> Monday, September 13, 2010 3:12 PM<br><b>To:</b> Jessica Blackstock<br><b>Subject:</b> Oklahoma Tourism Dept. Holds Free Sustainable Restaurant Workshop<o:p></o:p></span></p></div></div><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Oklahoma Tourism & Recreation Department<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:18.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>News Release<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align=center style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:center'><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>September 13, 2010<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p style='margin-left:2.0in;text-indent:.5in'><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></i></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><b><u><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<o:p></o:p></span></u></b></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Contact: Jessica Blackstock<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Phone: 405-230-8415<o:p></o:p></span></p><p style='margin:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-align:justify'><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Email: </span><a href="mailto:Jessica@TravelOK.com"><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Jessica@TravelOK.com</span></a><span style='font-size:10.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p></o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><b><span style='font-size:14.0pt;font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Oklahoma Tourism Dept. Holds Free Sustainable Restaurant Workshop<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>With special thanks to sponsors Sustainable Tulsa & ChooseJobsTulsa.com<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Encouraging Conservation in Oklahoma (ECO) is conducting a Sustainable Certification Workshop for restaurants in the Tulsa area on October 11 hosted by Eloté Café in downtown Tulsa. ECO is the state’s sustainable travel program and is a partnership between the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department and the Oklahoma Department of Environmental Quality. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The workshop will include an overview of the ECO program and personal assistance in answering questions regarding the application process. Content will be tailored to attendees and their restaurant’s operations. The workshop is sponsored by Sustainable Tulsa and ChooseJobsTulsa.com. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>ECO is a sustainability certification and educational program in Oklahoma for hotels, lodges, B&B’s, restaurants, events and attractions. ECO’s goal is to encourage sustainable business practices and promote eco-minded tourism partners across the state. ECO has established a voluntary program that certifies, recognizes and promotes travel and tourism related businesses and organizations that have made a commitment to reducing their environmental impact in Oklahoma. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>“Now more than ever, travelers are looking for green options and the ECO program meets that need,” said Hardy Watkins, executive director of the Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department. “This workshop provides tools and support to the restaurant industry. The ECO program works to engage this industry through certification, marketing opportunities and educational components.”<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>For more information regarding the ECO Program, please visit the </span><a href="http://www.ecotravelok.com/"><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>ECO Homepage</span></a><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>, or to register for the ECO Workshop, please contact Jessica Blackstock </span><a href="mailto:Jessica@TravelOK.com"><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>Jessica@TravelOK.com</span></a><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>. The workshop is free; however space is limited, so please contact Jessica to reserve your spot. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;line-height:normal'><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>The Oklahoma Tourism and Recreation Department (OTRD) is working to advance the exceptional quality of life in Oklahoma by preserving, maintaining, and promoting our natural assets and cultural richness. The department is the steward of the state park system and also promotes Oklahoma as a travel destination through many award-winning programs. To learn more about Oklahoma Tourism visit </span></i><a href="http://www.TravelOK.com"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>www.TravelOK.com</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> or follow us at </span></i><a href="http://www.Facebook.com/TravelOK"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>www.Facebook.com/TravelOK</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'> or </span></i><a href="http://www.Twitter.com/OklahomaTourism"><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>www.Twitter.com/OklahomaTourism</span></i></a><i><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>.<o:p></o:p></span></i></p><p class=MsoNormal style='margin-bottom:0in;margin-bottom:.0001pt;text-indent:.5in;line-height:normal'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'><o:p> </o:p></span></p><p align=center style='text-align:center'><span style='font-family:"Arial","sans-serif"'>-30-<o:p></o:p></span></p><p class=MsoNormal><o:p> </o:p></p></div></body></html>