Michelin has been named the “Official Tire of the Yellowstone Park Foundation” as part of a new environmental stewardship initiative to provide the company’s energy-saving tires to the Yellowstone National Park vehicle fleet.
Adding Michelin tires will improve the motor pool’s fuel efficiency and lower CO2 emissions by about 8 percent to 10 percent, according to Dick Wilkerson, chairman and president of Michelin North America.
“Michelin has for many years focused on using the latest advancements to design the most efficient and environmentally friendly tires possible,” Wilkerson explains. “We believe that the future of transportation lies not only in the constant improvement of fuel economy and mobility, but also in an overall commitment to sustainability.”
In addition to providing tires and related service for park-owned vehicles, Michelin also will implement programs for Yellowstone employees that demonstrate how to improve fuel efficiency and maximize tire life through proper tire inflation.
“Maintaining Yellowstone National Park and serving its 3 million annual visitors requires hundreds of employees, many of whom must travel vast distances to perform their duties,” says park superintendent Suzanne Lewis. “We are very pleased to have Michelin…assist in our efforts to reduce the ecological footprint of our operations and decrease the consumptive use of natural resources.”
Wilkerson reports that tires require a significant part, up to 20 percent, of the energy needed to operate a car. For commercial trucks, the impact may be even higher, up to 30 percent and beyond.
Michelin’s donation of energy-efficient tires complements the park foundation’s mission to raise $5 million as part of the Yellowstone Environmental Stewardship (YES!) Initiative, a multi-year program started in 2008 to help the park further reduce its carbon footprint, increase operational efficiency and better preserve resources for future generations.
To further support the park’s sustainability program, Michael Fanning, Michelin’s vice president of corporate affairs, has joined the foundation’s board of directors. Don Baldwin, product marketing manager for the company’s truck tires, has additionally joined the foundation’s advisory council.
“Environmentally-minded corporations like Michelin are creating the technology that will help elevate Yellowstone National Park as a worldwide leader in our operational environmental stewardship,” says Paul Zambernardi, the foundation’s president. “We are proud that Michelin has joined with us to help ensure Yellowstone’s legacy of sustainability and we are pleased to name Michelin as the Official Tire of the Yellowstone Park Foundation.”
Michelin was presented with the Yellowstone Park Foundation’s Environmental Stewardship Award to recognize the company for its efforts to help the park reduce its impact on the environment. The award features the work of Utah artist Owen Mortensen, whose dried leaf designs “represent the beauty and the renewal that occurs in the cycles of nature.”
The nonprofit foundation has been the park’s official fundraising partner since 1996. The foundation works in cooperation with the park to fund projects and programs that protect, preserve and enhance the natural and cultural resources along with the guests’ visiting experience.
The foundation receives no annual government funding; it relies instead upon contributions from private citizens, foundations and businesses.
“We are excited to assist Yellowstone National Park, a leader in the areas of conservation and environmental stewardship, in the effort to lessen the environmental impact of its vehicle fleet,” says Wilkerson.
For more information, visit
www.ypf.org and
www.michelin-us.com.
