Greener county tops menu for Lunch and Learn
By Scott Nicholson
nicholson@mountaintimes.com

The Boone Area Chamber of Commerce’s “Lunch & Learn” on Thursday served up a helping of greenery, as the Watauga County Economic Development Commission introduced its “Green Business Certification Plan.”

Watauga County planning director Joe Furman welcomed people to the Appalachian Enterprise Center, the site of the event, which has undergone renovation. It houses regional and state economic development and entrepreneurial agencies and also has 19 business incubator spaces.

Rob Holton, chairman of the EDC, asked, “How could one local business make a difference?”

He talked about Mast General Store’s decision to purchase “green power” through the local electric cooperative and from there, the idea grew to promote Watauga County as “green,” wedding the tourism and scenic assets with business growth to create a marketable identity.

The EDC partnered with the Appalachian State University Energy Center to come up with certification standards that sets goals for local businesses.

Certified businesses will receive additional promotion through the county, and Holton called the plan a voluntary program that would inspire businesses to take positive steps for the environment.

“The heart of the green business plan is that it encompasses the depth of breadth of environmental and community stewardship practices,” Holton said, adding the practices would improve business operations, enhance operations and increase profit. He asked local business owners to image the benefits of a united effort.

Brian Crutchfield, who heads up energy renewal efforts for Blue Ridge Electric Membership Corporation, said the plan offered good guidelines for increasing energy efficiency.

He introduced a service called “Questline,” an online newsletter that spreads information and research on energy use and efficiency. The newsletter includes self-audits of lighting and other energy uses, which is important since on-site audits are expensive.

The corporation also offers the ability to purchase blocks of “green energy” that help support energy-renewal projects. Crutchfield said reducing energy use was a more efficient and immediate way to go green than to invest in photovoltaic and wind energy systems. He said caulking, weatherizing and using energy-efficient light bulbs were simple steps to cut energy usage.

Chetola Resort gave a report on its progress on going green, welcoming the development of standards to help guide businesses and the availability of resources. “There’s some unique things about Chetola we’ve been doing for many, many years,” said Chetola’s general manager Margaret Holder, mentioning the connection of a trail to the Blue Ridge Parkway and use of recycled materials.

The resort uses composite material for decking and uses environmentally friendly cleaning supplies in housekeeping. It also supports local conservation efforts, including a voluntary program to collect money from tenants for land and wildlife protection.

The Green Business Plan incorporates a scorecard, awarding points for performance and environmental practices, and currently is proposed for certification renewal every two years. The EDC is focusing on the hospitality industry at the beginning but there are plans to expand it to include a wide variety of businesses and agencies.

EDC consultant David Ponder said there were eight different certification categories: regulatory compliance, solid waste management, environmentally and socially responsible purchasing, energy conservation, water conservation and water quality protection, natural and cultural resource protection, reduction of transportation and community leadership.

“It’s really about creating a sustainable community and that really means being a good corporate citizen,” Ponder said. The plan has three different certification levels and new businesses could start with a one-year probationary process.

He challenged businesses to begin looking at their energy use and operations and begin putting the best practices in place. Businesses seeking certification will get an on-site verification visit and certified businesses will get a business profile page on the Tourism Development Authority’s Web site.

Interested businesses are encouraged to get a copy of the scorecard and see how their business stacks up. Certified businesses are encouraged promote the plan through signs and tours, as well as sharing the plan on their Web sites.

The “lunch” part of the event fit in with the theme. Charles Hardin of the Blowing Rock Chamber of Commerce said the lunch boxes were made from the byproduct of sugar-cane production and was a biodegradable product.

Napkins came from recycled paper and were collected along with the lunch box for composting, while plastic water bottles were collected for recycling.

The EDC will roll out the certification plan on Earth Day, April 22, and announce the participating businesses.