Page 27 - March 2009 • Southern California Gaming Guide

Recycle, Reduce and Reuse...these three words represent green action. Recycle natural resources and valuable materials, Reduce consumption of non-renewable energy and ultimately reduce the carbon footprint of a business, and Reuse precious natural resources. And Southern California casinos have a commendable track record in green energy-saving. Read on about Barona
Valley Ranch Resort and Casino’s recent green awards, and Sycuan Casino’s water conservation program.
Barona Honored for Environmental and Community Service Programs
Recognizing Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino’s achievements in environmental stewardship and community contributions, the California Hotel & Lodging Association (CH&LA) has awarded Barona with two Lodging Property Achievement Awards. Barona received the Good Earthkeeping Award for the second year in a row, as well as the Community Service award for a large property.
e awards were presented at the CH&LA’s annual 2008 Stars of the Industry Awards dinner in Anaheim.
e Good Earthkeeping Award recognizes lodging properties that have developed a culture toward integrating environmental management practices that improve daily operations while maintaining quality service and meeting guest expectations. e program must demonstrate success in one or more of the following areas: energy conservation, solid waste reduction, e uents and emissions, water conservation, purchasing and business issues.
Some of Barona’s award-winning features for this award include its commuter programs, use of natural light throughout the hotel and o ce spaces and green cleaning e orts. Barona also has a state-of-the-art water conservation program and on-site water treatment facility, which saves and reuses nearly every drop of water run-o at the hotel and Barona Creek Golf Club.
“Winning these awards is a real testament to our amazing sta and demonstrates the commitment of the Barona Band of Mission Indians and Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino to two very important causes—
the environment and the community,”
said Rick Salinas, general manager
of Barona Valley Ranch Resort
and Casino. “We are honored to be recognized by the California Hotel
and Lodging Association, as we
continue the traditions of protecting
and cultivating Barona’s beautiful landscape and surrounding valley
and giving back to the San Diego community.”
e CH&LA Good Earthkeeping Award is an addition to a long list of prestigious awards that Barona has received for its environmental programs, including the United States Environmental Protection Agency’s 2007 National Clean Water Act Recognition Awards, the San Diego Earthworks Earth Award and two SANDAG Diamond Awards. Barona Creek Golf Club has also received an Audubon International Bronze Signature Sanctuary Certification, as well as the Environmental Leaders in Golf Award from the Golf Course Superintendents Association of America and Golf Digest.
e Community Service Award from the CH&LA recognizes hotels and resorts that are responsive to the local community by helping local or national service organizations, charities and community groups to bene t the area. Barona has always placed great importance on positively impacting the community and through the years, has donated millions of dollars to charitable organizations in the San Diego region and has also contributed countless hours of services and volunteer support. In 2008, Barona was a major sponsor
Barona Valley Ranch Resort and Casino has received multiple environmental awards.
Sycuan Casino’s fountain uses reclaimed water from a state-of-the-art ltration system.
March 2009 SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA GAMING GUIDE
Page 27
of several high pro le community events including Balboa Parks December Nights, the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots, Epilepsy Foundation’s Gingerbread City and Foundation for Women.
As a winner of the CH&LA Good Earthkeeping and Community Service Awards, Barona’s nomination will automatically be entered in the national Stars of the Industry Awards competition, presented at the American Hotel
& Lodging Association’s Summer Summit in Chicago on June 24, 2009.
Sycuan Casino Conserves Water Resources
While many places around the country are freezing in late February, it’s 80 degrees at the Sycuan Casino property, located about 30 minutes from downtown San Diego. And even with the recent rainfall, it is still a drought lookout for 2009.
ese arid conditions in Southern California come with warnings to conserve water at all costs... “Avoid running sprinklers or hoses during the day,” we are told. But this is something Sycuan doesn’t worry about; it practically makes water, and it has an abundance of it. Sycuan conserves every drop of water that ows through its sinks and bathrooms, nothing is discarded. Ernesto Reveles and his colleagues at Sycuan’s Water Works Plant make it happen.
“It’s easy and e cient,” says Reveles, the facility’s Supervisor.
Here’s how it works. Every time someone drains or ushes water, it is captured in tanks that hold up to 200,000 gallons of water. Using nothing but compressed air, the water is stirred in the tanks to separate the bacteria, which settles at the bottom of the containers. Gentle pumping takes place, to take the water at the top, into another ltration tank, killing whatever bacteria might be left over. A computer system runs every phase of the process—within a few hours the water is as clean as ever.
“We run this cycle three times a day, generating tens of thousands of gallons of ‘new’ water. is water is clean and safe, we use it for irrigation all over the property,” says Reveles.
is clean H2O is also ltered back to Sycuan Casino’s bathrooms and sinks. e fountain in front of the main entrance runs on the water as well.
“Every drop meets Environmental Protection Agency standards,” says Reveles.