Greetings from Portland, Oregon. Below is an update on the area’s newest travel-related developments. We hope you will find this information useful. If you prefer not to receive future media updates on Portland, you may unsubscribe here.

• Conservation — It’s a boy! Species Survival Program Welcomes Baby Elephant
• Hotel News — Avalon Hotel First in Northwest to Earn LEED Silver for Existing Buildings
• Hotel News — Sustainable Bathrooms Wow Heathman Hotel Guests
• Rubber Tire Travel — Oregon Installs First Highway Solar Project Near Portland

The Oregon Zoo, which has a renowned breeding program for endangered Asian elephants, recently welcomed the 28th elephant to be born at the zoo since 1962. On Aug. 23 — and after 31 hours of labor — Rose-Tu, a 14-year-old Asian elephant and first-time mother, gave birth to a 286-pound male calf. Rose-Tu, who was the last elephant to be born at the zoo (1994), had been recommended for breeding by the Association of Zoos and Aquariums' (AZA) Species Survival Plan. The AZA, of which the Oregon Zoo is an accredited member, strives to maintain a sustainable population of the endangered elephants in North America. Currently, with few bulls and low birth rates — combined with an aging female population — the North American elephant population is at of risk becoming extinct.

In the fall of 2006, Tusko, a bull elephant on breeding loan to the Oregon Zoo, was introduced to Rose-Tu in hopes that the two would make a love connection. Sparks flew, and Rose-Tu became pregnant shortly after the two elephants’ initial meeting. Their as-yet-unnamed offspring could make his debut within a few weeks; although zookeepers stress that public viewing won’t occur until mother and baby have comfortably bonded. For more information on the Oregon Zoo or its species recovery programs, visit www.oregonzoo.org.

Media Contacts
Bill LaMarche, Oregon Zoo
503.220.2448, bill.lamarche@oregonzoo.org

Linda D'Ae-Smith, Oregon Zoo
503.220.5716, Linda.D'Ae-Smith@oregonzoo.org

Placing it in exclusive company, Portland’s Avalon Hotel and Spa has become the second hotel in the world — the first in the Pacific Northwest — to earn LEED (Leadership in Environmental and Energy Design) Silver certification for an existing building from the U.S. Green Building Council. This designation recognizes the hotel’s exceptional performance in terms of reduced energy and water use, sustainable site development, sustainable product selection and indoor air quality. Among the hotel’s many accomplishments are:

• Natural habitat preservation: The Avalon borders Cottonwood Bay, a protected greenspace and natural habitat that is conducive to butterfly populations.
• Water irrigation: The Avalon eliminated 95 percent of its irrigation needs by limiting landscaping to native, drought-tolerant plants. The remaining irrigation relies on a drip method that is used only three months out of the year.
• Water reduction campaign: The Avalon reduced its overall water consumption by 22 percent by installing water-saving devices.
• Recycling program: More than 60 percent of the hotel’s waste stream is recycled and/or composted, and each guest room includes recycling bins.
• Alternative fuels: Hotel vehicles are fueled with biodiesel; guests arriving in alternative-fuel vehicles are invited to park at no charge.

The Avalon Hotel and Spa is a luxury boutique property situated on Portland’s Willamette River. For more information on the hotel, visit www.avalonhotelandspa.com.

Media Contact
Ashley Bernard, Koopman Ostbo
503.223.2168, ashley@koopmanostbo.com

Portland’s 1927 Heathman Hotel recently announced a locally responsible and sustainable remodel of all 155 of the historic hotel’s bathrooms. As of this month, hotel guests will begin enjoying the remodeled bathrooms, which demonstrate that luxury and sustainability can happily coexist.

The Heathman Hotel, which was one of the city’s first hotels to complete energy efficiency upgrades and receive financial incentives from Energy Trust for completed initiatives, worked hard to make this latest renovation project as sustainable as possible. Ninety-nine percent (by weight) of all materials in the former bathrooms were recycled; 95 percent (by volume) of construction debris was donated to Portland’s ReBuilding Center, the largest nonprofit building materials resource in North America; wood used in the project was Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) certified; tile (installed on the walls and floors) was 40 percent recycled; and energy-efficient LED lighting, custom designed by Portland’s own Eleek, Inc., was installed. In addition, new shower heads are reducing gas usage by 10-20 percent, while new commodes have cut water consumption in half.

Located in downtown Portland, The Heathman Hotel is a member of Historic Hotels of America. It has received a Four Diamond rating from AAA for 24 consecutive years, and it has been named three times to Travel + Leisure magazine’s “Best Hotels in the World” list. For more information on The Heathman Hotel, visit www.heathmanhotel.com.

Media Contact
Kirsten Forsberg, Lane P.R.
503.546.7897, kirsten@lanepr.com

Road-trippers driving north into Portland on Interstate 5 will soon notice a row of solar panels close to the spot where I-5 intersects with Interstate 205 (near Tualatin, Ore.). Yes, obvious ironies aside, reputedly rainy Northwest Oregon will soon have the nation’s first solar demonstration project situated on a major freeway. Electricity generated by the 594 panels, installation of which began last month, will feed directly into Portland General Electric’s (PGE) systemwide power grid and account for nearly 30 percent of the energy needed to light the busy highway interchange at night.

The $1.3 million project is expected to be complete and online by the end of the year. According to Governor Ted Kulongoski, the undertaking is another “step forward in our vision of an energy independent Oregon.” All told, the panels will cover about 8,000 square feet (743 square meters) and stretch roughly the length of two football fields. They will produce about 112,000 kilowatts per year.

Media Contact
Elaina Medina, PGE
503.464.8790, elaina.medina@pgn.com