DNPS, which operates world-class resorts and concessions contracts in state and national parks, captured this year's Odyssey Award in the Environment category from the Travel Industry Association of America (TIA), a non-profit organization that represents and promotes the $545 billion U.S.  travel industry. The announcement was made as the company received an honorable mention from the U.S. Department of Interior (DOI) 2002 Environmental Achievement Awards program.

The Odyssey Awards recognize excellence and exceptional achievements in travel promotion and public and community service activities in nine categories. TIA granted the environmental award to DNPS, citing registration of its environmental management program, GreenPath, to the ISO 14001 standard established by the International Organization for Standardization. During 2001, DNPS successfully registered GreenPath at five properties to this internationally recognized benchmark for environmental leadership: Yosemite, Sequoia and Grand Canyon national parks, Asilomar State Beach & Conference Grounds in Pacific Grove, Calif., and DNPS' central reservations office in Fresno, Calif. In early 2002, the company-owned resort, Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, also was registered to the ISO 14001 standard.

The Department of Interior Environmental Achievement Awards recognize achievements of DOI's bureaus, employees and contractors in a broad range of environmental and conservation areas, including waste prevention, environmental management systems, environmental stewardship and education and outreach.

Key elements of DNPS' award-winning GreenPath program include the establishment of "green teams" at each location, incorporation of environmental considerations and sustainable practices into all business decisions, using environmentally friendly cleaning products, institution of comprehensive waste reduction and recycling programs, and implementing employee and guest awareness initiatives promoting stewardship.

"From its inception, GreenPath has been an important part of our company's culture, demonstrating our respect for the earth and for the properties entrusted to our care," said DNPS President Bruce W. Fears. "We are convinced that ISO registration is a clear illustration of our commitment to environmental excellence. All of the efforts to achieve ISO registration serve a fundamental purpose: to protect the national treasures where DNPS operates and set a standard to safeguard our parks."

Delaware North Parks Services, a subsidiary of Buffalo, N.Y.-based Delaware North Companies, Inc., is a leading hospitality provider with significant experience in hotel, retail, food service, recreation and transportation operations. The company's portfolio includes some of the most unique properties in North America, including Kennedy Space Center Visitor Complex, Yosemite, Sequoia and Grand Canyon national parks, Asilomar State Beach and Conference Grounds, Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, The Grand Hotel at Grand Canyon, Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa near Vancouver, British Columbia, Niagara Falls State Park, Jones Beach State Park, Deer Creek Resort and Conference Center, Jetty Park, Roaring River Inn and Conference Center, and the U.S. Mint in Philadelphia and Denver. The company recently was awarded the retail contract at Yellowstone National Park, with operations commencing in January 2003.

When DNPS assumed the management of visitor services at Yosemite National Park in 1993, it quickly became known in the industry for its innovative environmental practices and management style. With stewardship as its mantra, the company has developed and implemented a comprehensive environmental management program, GreenPath, which has earned registration through the International Organization for Standardization (ISO) for six DNPS locations.  Companies worldwide have received ISO 14001 registration, but DNPS is one of the first in the hospitality industry to demonstrate its commitment to preserving precious natural resources through such a rigorous and formal process.

Today, DNPS continues its leadership position with national and state parks, but also has expanded its presence with a greater emphasis on hospitality and entertainment. While DNPS has always managed hotels and resorts within client venues, the company became a hotel owner in its own right when it purchased Tenaya Lodge at Yosemite, a premier four-diamond resort in northern California, and Harrison Hot Springs Resort and Spa, a world-class resort near Vancouver, British Columbia. With $250 million in annual revenue, 3,000 guestrooms and 5,000 associates, DNPS has established itself as a leading hospitality company.

Delaware North Companies, Inc., is one of the world's leading hospitality and food service providers. Its family of companies includes Sportsystems, Delaware North Parks Services, CA One Services, Sportservice, Delaware North Companies International, the FleetCenter and the newly acquired Delta Queen Steamboat Company. Delaware North is one of the largest privately held companies in the United States with more than $1.6 billion in annual revenue and 25,000 associates serving millions of customers in the United States, Canada and the Pacific Rim.